The 7 Week Plan
by VampireRide
Summary: Max, Lissa, Nudge, Brigid, Angel, Maya, Iggy and Ella are BFF's. But when a new guy comes to town, all that changes with the girls. Six girls want him, and despite the promise they made, it's not counting. Now, Max has a plan for them. But She becomes torn apart into too many pieces, which friend should she help? Which friend should she betray? Promise it's awesomer than sounds!
1. The Arrogant PopTart

**I Don't own MR. **

**This was just a random idea I got from nowhere.**

**Hope you all like it!**

I'm Max, and my life was great, and I had the bestest friends. Until one person drove us all apart. We became worst enemies. And I suddenly hated that person. Because all my friends were fighting. Of course, I would talk to all of them, try and get them to make up, but it never worked. And this is the story, of how the nine of us, quickly spiraled down to zero.

**Max**

"Best friends forever, right?" I asked my seven friends.

"Forever." Nudge placed her fist on top of mine.

"Forever." Angel did the same.

"Totally." Brigid smiled and continued the stack.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Ella admitted, setting her fist on top.

"Max, how could we not be?" Maya got on her knees to be taller so her fist would fit.

"Yeah, you guys like, took me in!" JJ agreed, copying everyone else.

"Forever." Lissa giggled and placed her fist on the very top. We all laughed as we fist-bumped and joked. We'd be best friends forever. And I had made us all promise. A sure way of knowing it was true.

But oh how naïve my nine year old mind was.

**Four years later**

"Ooh guys! Sale on converse!" JJ announced as we walked through the mall. All eight of us loved converse shamelessly. It was the only shoe we were. All of ran to the shoe and immediately started looking at all the different types.

"Max! These would look awesome on you with those black ripped skinny jeans!" Lissa shouted from her aisle, I took off to find her holding two red converse high tops in just my size.

"I'm so getting them!" I squealed. Something I only do for converse.

Once we all had a pair or two, we headed off to get clothes. None of liked the mall too much, but we all loved having fun and making fun of stuff. JJ, Nudge, Maya, and I walked towards Aeropostale.

"We'll meet up with you guys at the food court!" Lissa, Angel, Brigid, and Ella went towards Hollister.

A few hours later we were all chowing down on burgers, fries, and cokes. (well, drinking the cokes.)

"We're thirteen and rocking it, girls! What do you say we play a special prank on our eighth grade teachers since the Christmas break is coming up." Angel suddenly said, we all looked at her.

"My devious, manipulative Angel..." I started. "It's a wonderful idea." Everyone nodded in agreement and Lissa smiled mischievously.

"Girls, I got an idea forming." She said.

"Spill!" Everyone shouted, causing us to get weird looks from other tables.

"Okay, here's how it's gonna go down, on the last day before X break," We all listened intently. Oh yes, this would be the best prank yet.

It was the last week of school, the first Monday of a hellish week. "P1, we have a new student today. James, Griffin!" Everybody looked towards the new boy, except me and JJ, who continued to chat in the back. We were going over our plans when Germs, or whatever his name was took a seat at the three person desk that only had two people at it. I sat in between my best friend, and some stranger, ignoring him as we went over the supplies.

"Whatcha guys planning?" James asked curiously as I scribbled down the supplies and the teacher continued with the boring lecture.

"None of your beezwax, so sit down, shut up, get your juice box out, and suck it." I snapped, not even glancing at the kid.

"I'm already sitting." That annoyed me.

"Listen you smart a-"

"Ms. Martinez, care to comment on the lesson?" Mr. Red asked. He was my all-time worst teacher. We hated each other with a passion.

"Not on the lesson, your zipper is down and may I say, pink boxers? What happened to your briefs, girly man?" I asked politely. The class burst out laughing, and the new kid smirked.

"Detention Ms. Martinez."

"Whatever, jut another hour with your worst nightmare. Oh and, isn't that your car being towed?" I asked, pointing out the window?

"What in the name of-?" Mr. Red went to the window and I silently ran up towards the front at the same time as newbie did. I planted a shocker on his desk so every time he touched it, he would be shocked, and Germs placed what looked like a bomb on the chair, and in white, bold letters, it said IGGY.

We both looked at each other for a sec before running back to our desk and sitting down. Snickering in sync it seemed. "So, are you a Pyro too?" I asked. And Iggy nodded. Wait, his name wasn't Iggy. Oh well, easier to remember than Jules, or Germs, or something like that. Whatever his name was, it didn't suit him.

"Yeah, it's what I do for a living. I'm an orphan, this is my one hundred and thirteenth family. I'm cute, but once I blow up the house they send me right back."

"Dude, that's so Lima Beans." I muttered.

"I know right?" Whoa, Iggy knew the code, maybe he was alright...

"Hey, so I have this group, maybe at lunch you could-" POW! BAM SMASH! ZING! The class burst out laughing as Mr. Idiot sat down on the bomb which exploded. Then he was propelled forward and on the desk, where he was electrocuted.

"We are so Bacon together!" I decided, high fiving Iggy as I laughed.

"Yeah, totes, Bacon!" He exclaimed. I smirked. Okay, so he wasn't as bad as I put him out for in the beginning. Like, ten minutes ago the beginning.

Well, while teacher was being electrocuted, Iggy, JJ, and I headed to the cafeteria, laughing at the way Mr. Red's hair stood up as mini lightning strikes went through it.

At the cafeteria, the rest of the group caught up with us three about five minutes later.

"Ooh la la, hello, Mr. Hottie." Nudge and Ella said in sync, then laughed as Iggy posed with a devilish smile on his lips.

"Like what you see ladies? Threesomes are fun." They each lightly slapped him. Everyone warmed up to Igs real fast.

"What's your name hot stuff?" Lissa asked finally.

"His name is Iggy." I told them. Igs smirked and winked at me.

"Yeppers!" He beamed at the group. Wow, one day and already a new member. Yeah, we all fell in love with Igs- in a brotherly way. But I think he cared about me most out of all of us.

The rest of that school year went by pretty quick. But that's not where everything went wrong. Iggy helped us with our prank and it was da bacon if I do say so myself. But now let's speed up to the year it all was ruined, tenth grade. The end of my best friends. The year I was torn into eight different pieces. The year our promise suddenly meant nothing.

I smiled at all my friends as we walked to school. This was the perfect picture. Iggy was currently playing horse for me and spun around quickly as we walked, I wrapped my legs tighter around his wait and my arms tighter around his neck.

"Igster!" I screamed and laughed.

"My turn!" Lissa insisted, smirking at us.

"Oh okay. Since you said please." I snapped sarcastically, but all the same got off Iggy. Lissa hopped on and he did the same to her as he had done to me. We all continued to take turns till it was back to me, then I became the permanent passenger on the Iggy Express. Mostly because we had the same homeroom, and first period together though.

"Love you guys! See you at lunch!" Iggy and I called out in sync as our friends walked off to their own homerooms. It was then, that I'm pretty sure all of us girlfriends locked eyes on who had to be the most mystery guy there. The new kid. He was BACON hot. And I knew that he knew, that eight girls were looking at him.

I averted my eyes first. We all had made a pack when Iggy entered that if just two of us fell for the same guy, we'd push him to the curb. But none of us liked Iggy so I don't know why we did it then.

"Igs! To my locker!" I told him, still riding on his back. He nodded and went that way. I expertly changed out my books and everything while Iggy held my legs, then he took off towards homeroom, not bothering to let me down when the teachers we passed insisted.

When we got to homeroom, the kids gave us weird looks as Iggy ducked so my head wouldn't hit the top of the door frame.  
Two open seats, chumps. Either make'em, or I break ya." Instantly, the two kids in the very back row that Iggy was glaring at shot up and each sat somewhere else. Igs set me down and we took our seats.

A few minutes later, he was carrying my backpack to first period, along with his. "I'm starting to think I'm everyone's mule." He muttered.

"Oh no you're not, hon, just mine." I smiled innocently and smirked as he rolled his eyes.

"I hate you Maximum Martinez." Iggy snapped.

"I love you too, Iggy." I kissed his cheek and watched him turn bright red. I smirked and slugged his shoulder. He rubbed it and smiled.

We walked into first period laughing about nothing and took seats in the back, everybody was used to our strange behavior so no one bothered to stare.

"Max, is that my shirt?" Iggy asked, glancing down at the shirt I was wearing for the first time.

"Duh Igs! I'd never buy a guy's shirt. I just threw it on since you left it last sleep over." My mom thought Iggy was gay, so she let him spend the night with the rest of the girls. He even acted gay in front of her. It was hi-lar-i-ous! And him being a cook helped too.

"Why are you wearing it though?" He asked.

"I just told you. Plus, guy's shirts are so comfy!" I added hugging myself.

At lunch, all my friends talked about the new guy who's name was apparently 'Nick'. When they started bickering I whistled. Everyone looked at me.

"It's obvious you guys like the new guy. So no one can have him." I said, but Brigid caught that whole sentence.

"You don't like him?" She asked. "He's Hot. H-A-W-T. Bacon hot." Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Oh please! He's form New York according to you stalkers. He's probably a trouble-making jerk in a gang with some freaky nickname like BullDog-"

"Actually, it's Hawk." A chill ran down my spine and I spun around, standing up to face none other than new boy himself. He had a NY accent. It was totally there.

"Buzz off before I swat that grin off your face and make you lose your honey all over the floor." I snarled.

"Oh you'd like that wouldn't you, baby?" Nick whispered. I kicked him where it counts and he fell to his knees.

"Put that in your juice box and suck it, Blueberry!" I spat.

"Oh, it won't be a juice I'm su-" I kicked him again, only this time I got his hand too since it was in the way. Nick grunted.

"Shut it, Oomp Loompa and go get yourself some acid!" I growled, when out of nowhere my feet were knocked out from under me. I back flipped and landed, crouched and on one knee, hands on either side of me, supporting my weight, a strand of hair in my face as I glared at the new kid, who I was now at the same height level as.

"You know what, Ms. Wonka, I'll happily be your-" I grabbed his bottom lip with my hand and twisted it. He yelped in pain.

"Not another word out of those disgusting lips or I will break your yellow, rotten teeth, and choke you with breath mints." He chuckled. He thought I was joking.

"What's the breath mint? Your tongue? Cause I'm good with that." he whispered so only I could hear him. Iggy grabbed me around the waist as I lunged for the idiot. Nick snickered. "So, that breath mint?" He asked a little louder.

"Oh, I'll give you a breath mint!" I screamed, grabbing a slice of the orange on my tray and shoving it down his throat. Nick started choking, his hands leaving his crotch and going to his throat as he tried to spit it out.

"Want me to save your arrogant-" And then he spit the orange out. I ducked and it hit Iggy in the face. We all burst out laughing as Iggy glared, even Nick laughed.

"Kill him, Max!" he snarled.

"With pleasure." I looked at Nick.

"You know, I'm kind of hungry." Nick whispered again, so only I could here him.

"Go get food then." I snapped, irritated.

"It's not exactly food I want." Nick, glanced at my chest and winked at me. I lunged and this time successfully pinned the doofus. And then he rolled so he was on top and his minty breath was hot and close.

"Oh come on, you can't resist-" And with that, I kneed him where it counts, and he fell off me in pain. A groan escaped his lips and all eyes were on us.

"Listen, Pop Tart, I run this show. You're a back-up dancer in a leotard who gets laughed at every time you show your face. Stay off my stage, stay away from my show, get out of my sight, and you'll live." I snarled.

"I'm still hungry." Nick whispered, shakily standing up. I slapped him. And shoved him back on the ground. Then took a seat.

"She just whipped yo a$$!" Iggy said, and everyone in the caf burst out laughing.

"You can whip me anytime, Maxine." Nick's hot breath on my ear made my knees turn to jello for a fraction of a second before I spun around, only to see him already sitting down at another table.

"Well, none of us can have Mr. Smexy." Ella said, sounding upset.

"You mean the arrogant poptart?" I asked.

"Yep." Lissa confirmed.

"He was a jerk anyways." Maya put in. we all agreed and chowed down. What an eventful first day of sophomore year this was.

**REVIEW for more!**


	2. It Wasn't what It looked Like

**I don't own MR**

**Max**

Alright, I know what you're thinking, 'you guys promised about the guy thing, so why would Nick tear you apart?' well, it's actually a pretty simple answer. No one could get over him. As the weeks dragged by, all my friends were constantly bickering over him. And Iggy sure wasn't helping. Let's go on to the second week of tenth grade, that's when it really started flaring up.

"Nudge! You little-"

"Whoa, what's going on?" I asked Angel as she glared at Nudge in the hallways. Though the slime on her clothes was clearly visible.

"Angel made a move on Nick, so I showed her it wasn't okay." Nudge snapped, shrugging and switching her books out. I sighed.

This one little fight between the two BFFL's of the group is what really started _everything._ Skipping onto lunch.

"Angel, that guy is a jerk, we all deserve better." Iggy said, using his gay voice. We all laughed and I shoved my pal. "Hey, watch the leather, girly." I snickered and slugged his arm gently.

"Why don't you watch-"

"OMG! He's coming this way, act calm!" Brigid whisper/shouted. I rolled my eyes and kept eating, ignoring the chills running down my spine.

"Hey Princess, can I have that breath mint now?" Nick asked. In response, I elbowed him and continued to eat. Didn't this guy take a hint? Or twenty? I didn't like him in any way.

"Not even in your wildest dreams, Pop tart." I snapped, not looking back. Nick suddenly appeared across from me, sitting in between Lissa and Nudge. They glanced a glare towards each other.

"So Nick, what do you look for in a girl?" Maya asked.

"Who wants to know?" Nick snapped back.

"A few of my friends." Maya smiled innocently as if it were a casual question.

"I don't like prissy girls who feel they need to put more make-up on than a clown to look pretty. I don't like rich snobs. I don't like girls who show off, I don't like girls who manipulate people." Everyone glanced at Angel and she smiled meekly.

"I like girls who are fun. Who can talk like a guy you know?"

"Tomboys then." Ella summed up. Nick shrugged. We were all tomboys. This was going to be fun.

"Are you racist?" Nudge chirped up out of nowhere.

"Sweetheart, you're very cute." Nick said. Nudge practically fainted.

"And what am I?" Lissa asked.

"Wonderful." Nick said charmingly.

"And me?" Angel asked.

"Sweet." Nick sounded bored.

"What about me?" Ella asked.

"Pretty." Pop Tart looked towards me as if willing me to ask.

Maya cleared her throat. "You're nosy. But in a good way."

"What about me Mr. know-it-all?" JJ asked.

"Feisty, baby. And you got long legs, show'em off every now and then. Jeans get boring, you know?" I snorted in disgust.

"You're feisty too Max. I bet you're a beast in-"  
"What about me?" Iggy cut the jerk off, batting his eyelashes.

"You have too many girl friends." Okay, we all laughed. I hate to admit, even me.

"So, Nick, let's all get to know each other and you can be part of our group." I choked on my water and it sprayed all over Poptart. He didn't even flinch though.

"Gross." He mumbled to himself, taking his jacket off and wiping the water away from his face with a napkin.

"The Arrogant barbie doll is not aloud in our group!" I snarled.

"Barbie doll? I liked poptart better." Nick muttered.

"Shut it Princess ugly! Bacon meeting, at free period." I practically growled. This boy was not about to be part of our lives, and I would make sure of that.

"Oh come on, Max! We let Iggy in!" Maya whined.

"No. Iggy is my second-on-command pyro. He had to be part of the group! Plus none of us like him!" I added in defense of Igs. Nick looked around.

"Wait, you girls like me?" Everyone except me and Igs blushed.

"Darlin' you are the hottest muffin in the bakery!" Iggy said in a southern accent, causing us all to laugh- well, Nick's version of laughter was a smirk and a small chuckle.

"So, which ones of you like me?" All the girls except me slowly raised their hands in shame. I found Nick's eyes on my un-raised arm, however.

"What about you, Doll?" He asked. I smiled politely and kicked his shin from under the table before going back to lunch.

"If there wasn't a table between us, I shoved a fork down your throat because nobody calls me doll and gets away with it." I said simply, not even looking at the disgrace to boys everywhere. That's right, _boys _everywhere.

"Good to know." Nick muttered. "So you seven like me huh? Well, I have to say, so many hot girls to choose from. But since I don't know any of y'all, I guess I have to say-" Everyone started talking at once about themselves. I could tell Poptart was uncomfortable with so many people around him and smirked.

I gave him a look that said _you did that to yourself._

He gave me a look back that said. _No, duh sweetheart. But can you help me? I'm claustrophobic and they won't give me some space. _Whoa, how'd I get all that from one look? I stood up and tossed my tray in the trash with Iggy at my heels, with that, we left the cafeteria, snickering t ourselves.

"Should we help the orange?" Igs asked.

"I'd rather be subjected to scientific tests." I decided, smirking as Nick tried to get away unsuccessfully.

Yeah, yeah, I should've helped him. It would've been the nice thing to do. But, until you had my trust, you weren't worth it then. I regretted not helping him during our next encounter. Free period.

"Maxine!" Nick snapped at me before any of my friends got their.

"It's Max you female dog- oh wait, that's an insult to female dogs everywhere." I smirked as he rolled his eyes.

"Why didn't you help me?" Nick asked as if we were best friends and I was obligated to help him through everything.

"One song, you're a jerk." I turned to leave but he spun me around and shoved me against the school wall.

"You know what, I think you like me, I think you're just holding back for your friends sake because you know you don't have a chance." Poptart sneered seductively. But come on, I'm the great Maximum Martinez. He got nothing on me.

"Please, you know you can't have me, which is why I'm your number one target." I whispered.

"Oh yeah?" He stepped closer and I looked up at him. Why did he have to be four inches taller than me? And then I realized how their wasn't a drop of air in between our bodies.

"Get off me you-"

"You know you don't want me off." Nick said quietly. No one even noticed us, mostly because almost everyone was inside though. I felt his hips start moving against mine and kneed him where it counts. He fell to his knees.

"Listen, _doll, _stay away from me, or I'll turn you into a human pretzel and feed you to my dog." I snarled, just an inch away from his face. Surprisingly, he closed the distance and his lips were on mine for a mere two seconds before I pulled away and slapped him. Nick's head snapped to the side.

"I don't see a reason to why you would've slapped me." Poptart muttered.

"And I don't see a reason to not break your b-"

"Max! Come on! You called the meeting!" I glared at Nick before running off to find my group. I mean seriously, what was his problem?

"Alright guys," I said as we stood in a circle out in the courtyard. "Sugar Cane is not aloud in our group! He's the biggest doofus I've ever met!"

"Yeah right Max, I saw you guys snogging!" Ella snarled.

"Since when are you British?" I growled.

"Since I wanna be!"

"That's right, you are a wannabee!" Angel exclaimed.

"And like you're any better? All you do is manipulate people to get what you want!" Brigid shouted.

"And you shove your flat chest in guy's faces to get them to like you!" Lissa snarled at Brigid.

"At least she doesn't dye her hair with blood!" Maya screamed in a fury.

"You're such a bra stuffer Maya! Mind your own business!" Nudge snapped.

"Shut up! Nick's never gonna like you, you runt!" JJ glared daggers. And with that, everyone got into fighting. Yelling insults and everything they could muster at each other. Iggy and I watched for a moment.

"GIRLS!" I screamed and added a whistle for effect as I stood on Iggy's shoulders.

"What?" Lissa shouted back.

"This is all your fault Max! You went and shoved your tongue down his throat!" Ella screamed.

"Hey! Max isn't the slut here!" JJ shouted, glancing towards Maya. On off it went again. I couldn't stop it, Iggy got slapped when he tried. For the final hour of the day, no one would talk to each other, and I began to wonder if one boy would ruin our friendship forever.

"I'll get you for this, Poptart, I swear I will." I snarled at him as I passed the clueless boy in the hallway. He sent me a confused glance as I walked off, without bothering to give him the slightest of explanations.

That's right. It all started when the jerk kissed me. But I was determined to fix this. If only I knew then how hard it would be.

**LaLaLandMuse**

**I'm glad I got you to read something you don't for a change. And thanks for liking my writing style. This is a new style for me since I don't usually write with the whole 'main story is flashbacks' thing. And yeah, Max doesn't trust people easily, but the reason why will be revealed soon enough. She's mean for a reason.**


	3. The Plan

**I don't own MR**

**Max**

A week of silence went by. I would talk to each of my friends and watch in disgust as each tried to seduce sir Ugly-alot. He didn't even notice them. And may I say, Angel was looking gorgeous when she tried.

I glared at Iggy as he walked up to Nick and jutted one hip out to the side. "Baby! You know you want me! I'm a million times better than all those dumb old girls. What's so fun about them anyways?" I snickered beside myself. I knew Iggy was just doing this to cheer me up, and it worked.

"You're beautiful Igs, but girls have two things you don't." Nick glanced at Iggy's chest as if to say _Get the picture? _And with that, Iggy slumped his shoulders and walked over to me, laughing the whole way.

"Iggy, why did you do that?" I asked.

"Because your mom's right there and I needed something more to show her because I think she's starting to think I'm not gay." I smirked and glanced at my mom who was eying Iggy as she talked to the principal.

"Wait, why is she even here?" I muttered to myself as Igs and I walked towards homeroom.

"Nicky, I wanna show you something." I heard Ella whisper seductively.

"Show me." Nick said back. I glanced towards them.

"Not here. But there's a closet in the next-"

"Don't you dare!" Iggy screamed, yanking Ella away from Nick. "I swear to God, if you ever touch her, I will rip each of your fingers off, one by one until you have none left." Iggy was so quiet, I don't even think Ella heard him, but I had this awesome hearing and I could read lips pretty well too.

Okay, even though it's totally irrelevant, I was pretty sure Iggy had a crush on Ella then. Anyways, after that incident Ella wouldn't talk to Iggy. Now, to free period!

"S'up babe?" I spun around expecting to see jerk-face right behind me, but instead he had a girl pressed against a wall. I watched in disgust for a moment as he devoured her face before turning away. Who can kiss somebody like _that?_ And then talk to their mom with that same mouth? I shuddered and found Igs sitting by the trees, leaning against an oak and pulling grass out of the ground. I plopped down in his lap.

"Oh Igferd! Hasn't your mama told you not to play with your food?" I asked accusingly. Iggy smirked and wrapped an arm around my waist.

"I don't recall _ever _eating grass, little lady." Iggy said in a cowboy accent and winked at me. I smiled. We were the only two out of all of this that were really still friends. Everyone else was all moody around me or Igs and wouldn't even look at each other.

"So, Doll, I heard the news about Maya. That naughty girl." Iggy shook his head and tsked.

"What she do?" I asked, whacking Iggy upside the head for calling me doll.

"Detention, darling. Lippin' off in class." I frowned.

"Maya's a goodie, what do you mean she lipped off?"

"Just what I said Max." Iggy was serious now. "but I also happen to know tall, dark, and stupid gots detention." I smirked at the way Iggy said 'gots'.

"You stole my word, Iggy." I said.

"Max, can we talk about something serious?" Iggy asked, and I slid off his lap.

"Sure, babe." I smiled, thinking Iggy was joking, but the look on his face told me he wasn't.

"I like one of the girls. And I don't know how to tell them." Igs admitted, sheepishly.

"Well, if it's Angel, Nudge, Ella or Maya, tell them romantically. If it's Lissa, or Brigid, shove'em against the lockers and start making out with them. If it's JJ, tell her she looks smexy and you want to go out with her. And if it's me, just tell me." I said, shrugging simply.

"Smexy? What does that even mean?" Igster asked, confused.

"Smoking, and sexy, duh!- actually, I have no clue. Jut a lucky guess." I admitted. "But it sounds cool!" I added helpfully.

"Max, I like..." Was it me? I mean sure Iggy was cute, but I always thought of him as a brother. "Jennah." I smiled and sighed in relief.

"You and JJ? That would be so cute! Especially since you're both pervs who like to hit a home run on the first date!" I decided, slugging his arm lightly. Iggy smiled.

"But she's caught up on Nick right now. She'll totally reject me." Iggy said, looking down at the ground, seeming upset. Jut then, JJ walked up to me furious.

"Oh my God! Nick's slobbering on another girls throat! It's the third girl this free period! He is such a- I don't usually say bad words, but it starts with a W and ends with hore." JJ let out a sigh.

Iggy smiled and was about to speak up when JJ suddenly announced. "But that only makes me like him a lot more than I did! What do I do guys?" JJ asked. "Everyone's at each other's throats trying to get him."

"Who cares? He'll treat you like trash anyways." Iggy snarled at JJ, causing her to look taken aback. Iggy was over-protective of all of us, but he wasn't usually mean about it.

"Igs, you will never get JJ if you yell at her." I said simply, patting his shoulder.

"I know, heated make out session about to get worse, twelve o'clock. Time to go break Nick's neck." Iggy and I stood up and took off towards Nick.

"Stop sucking her face off, jerk-face poptart!" I screamed, punching Nick in the back of his head. Since he was way taller than Lissa, his head jerked up and against the wall and Lissa's legs were going weak. Iggy tackled Nick and pinned him to the ground.

"Don't touch my girls, Nicolas, or I will make you my personal punching bag. And I will show no mercy, and I will laugh as you cry like a baby girl who lost her lollipop."

"Sexist!" I snapped. Iggy rolled his eyes.

"Fine, little boy who lost his lollipop. Happy Max?" Iggy asked, losing his guard. Which gave Poptart enough time to punch my pyro buddy in the face and literally knock him out with one punch. Lissa screamed and looked down at Iggy's bloody nose as he laid on his back, out cold.

"You did not just do that, to my baconest friend." I snarled.

"I thought I was your baconest friend Maxie." Nick said innocently. And then he mumbled something that sounded oddly like 'on the bed' and I went at that duck like there was no tomorrow.

Fortunately for him, a teacher caught me trying to kill Nick and his precious face wasn't damaged too much, which made me wanna cry because he still had one non-blackened eye.

Thinking back, he totally deserved another black eye for what he said. Nickster even admitted that's exactly what he said and didn't think I would hear. Oh, the clueless child, my awesome hearing got him in even more trouble later on. Okay, let's skip on to my devious planning. Ma ha ha ha!- I mean... teehee?

"That's it!" I screamed, after a whole twenty minutes of fighting. The gang looked at me. "I've come up with a plan that I hoped I'd never have to use. But I guess I will. If Nicolas agrees," I started. "Each of you will date him for one week, and you will get to know each other. And at the end of the seven weeks, Nick will pick which one of you girls, he likes best." I told my friends at lunch. Everyone nodded, still silent.

Nick smiled. "Seven babes? How can I pass up the offer?" Yeah, he was sitting with us again today. It was annoying how he switched around. "And, I am not for anyone, so if anybody needs advice, they may come to me, and only Nicolas may go to Iggy for advice." Everyone cheered and agreed. "Now rules. No interfering with ones time. Nick, you can't go around kissing other girls or doing anything else with them if they are not your current girlfriend. No sabotaging, and no talking about competition with Nick. Got it?"

A chorus of yes's. "Good. The seven week plan begins next Monday." And with that, lunch ended. And so did the girls' humanity.

I regret ever thinking about the seven week plan. It was the first bad plan I came up with, and it brought me to tears thinking about how I ruined so many friendships, and lost the most important one of all to me. All because of Nicolas Ride.

**Hoped you like it! And who is Max's most important best friend that she ended up losing as mentioned above^^^? First one to guess right- only 2 guesses aloud- get's a sneak peak at the epilogue.**

**Soar on**

**T**


	4. Ari

**I don't own MR**

**Max**

I smiled as the new kid cowered away from the school bullies. He was in my grade, a few months older, and looked pretty scrawny. The kid's golden eyes had a sparkle to them, with a little fear mixed into the shyness. One of the guys tried to punch him and the kid ducked and rolled and began sprinting my way. The doofuses had a moment of shock before chasing after the kid.

I yanked his hand and pulled him behind me. "Name." I snapped, not asking, demanding.

"Ari Flight." He whispered back. Ari? Interesting name.

"Move aside, sweet thang, I got some pounding to do."

"Go back to hitting lockers, that way your aim won't be so off." I snarled, protecting Ari. He reminded me of my little brother before the incident.

"And whose gonna make me? Last I checked the only place you belong is the kitchen." The guy snapped. I blinked. He did not just go there.

"I think you need to go make yourself a sandwich and pull your jockstrap out of your-" Ari was interrupted by the fist that flew around me and smacked him in the jaw.

"Fast thinking, kid, I like that." I winked at Ari before going all Maximum on their butts. Ari recovered and joined in.

"Two no five? So unfair!" I said, knocking two guy's heads together. They went down hard, out cold.

"Eh, this one should go too." Ari kicked him where it counts and twisted his neck, pressing down on a pressure point and making the kid go limp. "More fair, but you two need to go too." And with that Ari swung, the guy ducked and punched poor Ari in the face. He went down and limp. I took a breath. One on two.

But out of the corner of my eye, I could've sworn I saw Ari wink at me. He was awake. That kid has got mad acting skills. I shoved one guy over there and Ari immediately tripped him and took him out while I jabbed crossed, hooked, and round-house kicked the guy trying unsuccessfully to get a punch in, out.

"Ari, we make a good team." I told him, helping him off the floor. He brushed himself off.

"Why thank you uh... I didn't get your name." I looked at him a moment.

"Maximum Martinez. But you can call me Max. are you wearing contacts?" I asked casually. Ari frowned and shook his head.

"This is my natural eye color. My X-friends made fun of me and called me gay."

"Your eyes are beautiful- er- in a guy way. I think it's brave that you don't wear contacts to hide them too." Ari's face lit up.

"Really?" I nodded.

"Yup. You're new here, right? Let me see your classes, were already late for first period, and I know from personal experience this school is like a labyrinth on the first day. I'll help you find the classes we have together and get my... friends to help you with the ones you have with them." I explained as he handed me his schedule, hesitating on friends. I don't even know if they're my friends anymore.

I had every class with him. "Come on now, Mr. Flight. Just follow me." And with that we walked off to first period, both got detention, and then I had Ari sit down on the other side of me while Iggy raised his eyebrows at the new kid.

"Who's that?" Iggy whispered.

"Ari Flight. New kid. He's cool." I whispered back.

"You're trusting him rather quickly." Iggy told me.

"I know, but he reminds me of Gazzy, and he just helped me beat up some jerks." I insisted. Iggy nodded and glanced at Ari before deciding he was cool and nodded. Ari nodded back in acknowledgment and the whole day went by breezily. It was Friday, so I only had the weekend to decide who was going to be Nick's first girlfriend.

Ari ended up sitting next to me at lunch and everyone gave him a weird look. "Guys, this is Ari. He's Bacon, trust me." I said, they all nodded.

"Bacon? I'm a vegetarian." Ari whispered in a boyish voice. He even had a boyish face. How could he be sixteen?

"What's the best thing a vegetarian can eat?" I asked.

"I like tomatoes? uh... what about tofu Bacon?" He suggested.

"Okay, you're so Tofu then." I decided, trying to ignore the weird looks my friends were giving them.

"Have you ever had Bacon?" Ari shook his head, suddenly seeming afraid of al lthe girls giving him looks.

"Only the tofu kind." The poor kid was scared shipless by the look everyone was giving him.

"Max, are they gonna kill me?" Ari moved a little closer to me. "Or worse... shove meat down my throat?" Ari was taken aback when all the glares turned into smiles.

"He is so cute!" Ella squealed.

"OMG! We won't do that to you, darling!" I blinked. He was sixteen for crying out loud.

"Darling? I ain't no darling!" Ari snarled. "And I definitely ain't cute! I am a sexy machine!" He snapped, frustrated. JJ snorted.

Ari never sounded scared, just curious. And he was pretty timid around girls since he usually screwed it up with them. But it was strange to me that one minute he seemed terrified, and the next he was defending himself. It was time to bring out Maxlock Holmes.

During our free period, I cornered Ari with Watson- A.K.A- Iggy- at my side. "Alright look, kid. You're being kinda bipolar, scared, then tough, and if you're gonna be my friend, you're gonna tell me what's going on." I said simply. And Ari. Started. Crying.

Not full-out sobbing. More like silent tears that he was trying to hold back, but couldn't. I blinked and shook my head to see if I was imagining it.

"What's wrong?" I demanding, and felt ashamed at my tone when more tears leaked out of his eyes.

"I know I'm acting weird. My sisters abuse me a lot, and this is my first year at an actual school. I was home-schooled before this by a mom who doesn't even care about me. I'm in a dyslexia class and I can barely read." Ari told me everything, and took a shaky breath when he was finished. "I don't know how to act around anyone, because all I've ever done is cower in fear, or yell." Ari and his dad got into fights constantly, the yelling part.

"I feel like a jerk." I muttered, looking down at Ari. He was a sixteen year old man. He was fragile kid who needed love, who needed to feel wanted, and here I was demanding he tell me his life story.

"It's okay. I'm glad I told somebody. Are you still gonna be my friend?" I nodded. How could I not be his friend now?

"Why did you even trust me with that info?" I asked as we walked back towards school.

"You stood up for me. And that's trustworthy in my book. They would've beaten me to a pulp, threw me in a garbage can, and locked it so I would rot in trash." Ari said simply. Iggy looked at him.

"You like bombs?" he asked.

"Sure." Ari decided.

"You're in." I rolled my eyes. Iggy was so weird. That's all he cared about was the pyro's. Okay, so I was smiling too.

"Yo, Doll! When do I get to date you?" Ari and Iggy both clenched their fists.

"You're over-protective of your sisters, aren't you?" I asked. Ari shook his head.

"I protect everyone in general. Except for those jerks from this morning." Ari grinned goofily at me.

"Never, Pop tart!" I snarled. Nick's hand slipped into my back pocket and yanked me back. He spun me around and grabbed my shoulders with his hands.

"You did not just do that." I snarled.

"You should leave her alone, you jerk! That wasn't nice." Ari snapped.

"Nice?" Nick chuckled. "Who are you, Doll's boyfriend?"

"I got a better shot than you..." Ari's voice trailed off.

"What, no witty nickname?" Nick snapped.

"It's just... calling you anything or than your name would be a huge insult to that thing that I called you." Ari explained sweetly.

"Burn!" Iggy shouted and high fived Ari. "You go boy!" Ari stared at Iggy.

"Too far?" He asked. Ari nodded. Iggy sighed. "I'm not gay." He said quickly. Ari nodded, seeming unsure and cautious. He took a step away from Igs despite what he just said and looked back at Nick.

"Uh... okay then. Anyways Doll, so, I want you for week one. And then the feisty one for week two, and maybe a redhead for the third week, the black chick next, and uh... the Mexican one after that." I gave Nick a confused look.

"I'm the only Mexican one." I told him.

"You see my point then." Pop tart said cockily. I slapped the smirk off his face and socked him in the nose for good measure.

"Come on guys, Let's go get some smoothies. The trash is really making me lose my appetite." I spat on Nick's face as we walked away, standing in the middle of my two guy friends. I slung an arm over each of their shoulders, Iggy wrapped an arm around my waist, and Ari wrapped an arm around my shoulder. I could get used to this. My only two real friends anymore.

That was the greatest weekend of my life. But, I'll talk about it next chapter. Anyways, Ari was an awesome addition to the team, even if he was a vegetarian.

**No! It's not Iggy! None of you got it right, so here's another chance. Two guesses, use them wisely.**

**Soar on**

**T**


	5. Worst Sunday Ever

**I don't own MR**

**Chapter 5: Worst Sunday Ever**

**Max**

Now onto the weekend. Remember when I said how awesome it was? Well, Saturday and Friday sure. But Sunday? Well, you'll find out.

I laughed as Ari crossed his eyes trying to see the peanut butter on his nose, while Iggy burped the alphabet. Okay, so I've always had better luck with guy friends. But those girls were still my best friends.

"Guys! Enough with truth or dare!" I snapped. Ari licked the peanut butter off his nose, Iggy stopped on T, and I had already jumped out the window, and ran around the neighborhood screaming 'Nick is a doofus' twice.

"So, who's gonna go first?" I asked.

"No girl should go near that jerk. What do your friends see in him?" Ari asked.

"His six pack." I said simply.

"I got one of those!" Ari pulled a six pack of seven up out from behind him. I smirked.

"You know what I mean." And snatched a seven up.

"Yeah I do. How come girls don't go for me though? I mean... I'm lovable, aren't I?" Ari looked down at his old, worn jeans and too-big-for-him short sleeve shirt with ratty old sneakers to match.

"You need a new wardrobe!" I decided. "I'll call JJ-"

"No! Not JJ." Iggy begged. I smirked again, thinking of last time when she spent the night and did Iggy's hair. Pink, purple, and lime green streaks, with his hair gelled up really spiky. It was hilarious.

"Well everyone else would go overboard. So I guess you're stuck with me and Igs then." I grinned at Ari as we all stood up and took off towards the mall. Which was a five minute walk.

**break**

"Alright, we'll start at Aeropostale, then Hollister, then-"

"Max! You sound so out of character!" Iggy interrupted. I glanced back at him.

"What? I can't act like a girl every now and then?" I snarled, viciously.

"There's my Maxie." I punched Iggy in the chest before we went off towards store numeral uno.

"I can't afford this." Ari muttered, staring at the price tags in embarrassment.

"It's okay, I got the tab."  
"I'm not letting you pay for this Max." Ari said stubbornly.

"Dude, you can pay me back whenever." I insisted, setting the pile of clothes on the counter.

"No! You aren't paying for it!" Ari snarled.

"Yes I am!" I growled back.

"Let's all siesta down, okay?" Iggy said. "Ari, pay what you can, Max'll make up the difference, and you can pay her back by the end of next month." Iggy said easily. Ari huffed, but pulled his wallet out and gave the cashier lady fifty dollars, I noticed with a sinking heart that was all he had. I paid the other hundred dollars and we headed to the food court. Where Iggy bought us food. While he was in line, Ari and I talked about nothing.

"Did you ever find it weird that Panda's are Asian, but there eyes are round?" Ari asked. I snickered and nodded.

"That's so Racist though." I lightly tapped his shin from under the table as we laughed.

"Ever notice how the Mona Lisa's eyes follow you?" I asked. Ari nodded.

"It's so creepy right? I saw the actual painting and it's scaaaarrrrrrrrrrry." Ari said, causing my jaw to drop.

"You've been to Paris?" I practically shrieked, getting some weird looks.

"I've been all over the world. We move a lot because my dad has this insane idea that if we stay in one place I'll my family out to the cops." Ari lowered his voice for only me to hear.

"So you've been to Australia?"

"It's Ace, Mate." Ari winked at me and I smiled.

"Australia is so cool! I went there for my fifteenth birthday with JJ, Iggy, and Angel." I said a little too enthusiastically. Ari smiled.

"Oh yeah, the savannahs are beautiful. All the animals roaming free." Ari got a dreamy look in his eyes right before Iggy came with the food. Ari got a salad, I got a burger and fries, and Iggy got the same as me.

"So, what's after this?" Igs asked.

"Home so we can see what Ari should wear to school, Monday." I decided.

I shared my fries with Ari after he finished his salad and then we all went back to my place, each holding four bags. "I feel like I just went with Nudge, did you have to buy all this junk Igs?" I asked, glancing at his seven bags. (three of which I had.)

"You got stuff." Iggy defended.

"One bag's worth." I snapped back.

"Ari got four bags worth!" Igs persisted.

"You got seven!" I growled, and Iggy shut up as we walked through the door into my house. We charged up the stairs and into my room, and I dropped my bag in the closet before dumping Ari's stuff on my bed.

"Bracelets, shirts, shoes, shorts, jeans, and Iggy can pierce your ear." A frightened look crossed Ari's face as he looked at Iggy, who laughed maniacally and snatched his Swiss army knife out of his pocket.

"Uh... I'm good." He muttered.

"Ari, every guy has a diamond earring these days, it looks sexy. All the girls want me." Iggy said, turning his head to the side to show Ari his. "And don't worry, I seriously know how to do it." Igster pulled what looked like a hot glue gun out of his pocket. "It don't hurt if you do it right, and I pierced Gazzy's..." Iggy's voice trailed off and silence swallowed us whole.

"So, Monday's outfit!" Ari clapped his hands together, knowing he needed to distract us from the memories. I smiled and started digging through his clothes until I found the perfect outfit.

"Try it on!" I told him.

"Don't girls wear that color?" Ari asked. I shook my head.

"Guys do too." I insisted. Ari went off towards the bathroom to change.

"He's gonna look awesome." I told Iggy while he pierced his ear, right there jut randomly.

"I'm gonna have a bunch of piercings in this ear. And a nose ring, and a lip piercing? Too Emo, or totally smexy?" Igs asked.

"Emo smexy." I decided. Iggy nodded and grinned as Ari came back.

"Yup, that's one of the guys for you." He wore black skinny jeans with silver chains hanging down, golden hightops with black skulls on the sides. A light pink shirt that said 'Real men wear pink_' _which only made me want to laugh personally.

"Eh, I'd go with the red shirt, although pink is a good color for your skin tone, red would make it shine." Iggy said all expert-like as he dug around the pile then tossed Ari a shirt. He pulled off the pink one, and yup, he sure did have a six pack, only not the soda kind this time. Ari smirked, and I glared at him.

"Put your shirt on!" I snarled.

"I don't think you'd like that though, Max. I think you're liking the view." Ari said slyly.

"Put it on or I'll shove it down your throat." A worried expression crossed my friend's face before he grumbled to himself and put it on. This shirt said 'BOMBS, I got'em. SECURITY, don't matter. TEACHERS, beware. And I finished it off with a black leather jacket, popping the collar for Ari and smiling at my work.

"Who's the hottest guy in town?" I asked in a tone that clearly meant I was talking to a puppy.

"I don't know whether to be mad at your tone, or happy at the compliment." Ari muttered. I patted his head and ruffled his hair to make it more of a bedhead.

"Perfect. Heck, I'd date you if you walked into school like this." Ari blushed and I smiled.

"Thanks Max, you're the best. Is it alright if I leave my clothes here? I don't want my parents or sisters finding them." I nodded.

"Sure, go change and they'll be here for you in the morning."

**SUNDAY**

I was at the park, alone, wishing Ari would get here. I didn't know why he wanted to talk to me, and what about, but it seemed important. I swung on the swing gently until I felt two smooth hands cover my eyes.

"Guess who?" Said a smooth, confident tone. I scowled in disgust and whirled around on Nicolas, the stupid.

"What do you want?" I growled through clenched teeth.

"You." Nick's hand started at my shoulder and slowly started moving down towards my chest. Before I could react though, someone tightened their hands around Nick's neck and he tried to pry them off desperately, coughing and gagging as Ari threw him on the ground.

"What are you doing here?" I winced at the pure rage in Ari's tone, the look in his eyes was murderous, and frankly, it scared me like crazy.

"Whoa, man! I didn't hurt your girlfriend! Chill!" Nick spat. I was too shocked to correct Nick, and apparently Ari wasn't going to bother.

"Don't you ever touch her again, or I will hunt you down and kill you." Ari snarled in a calm whisper. How could so much rage, sound so serene and protecting? Nick caught his breath and stood up.

"You mean... like this?" And suddenly I was against Nick, his lips against mine. I yanked away and spat in his face right before Ari tackled him and started strangling him. I blinked in surprise. Ari wasn't joking, he was actually gonna kill Nick.

The jerk squirmed and coughed and pried at Ari's fingers, which was useless. I touched Ari;s shoulder tenderly, feeling his whole body tense.

"Please stop." I whispered, wanting to cry. Ari automatically loosened his grip just enough so Nick could breathe.

"You're a sad, sad little boy stuck in his own world. Don't come near Max again, or next time she won't save your sorry a$$." Ari snarled, getting off Nick and turning to me just in time to be tripped and straddled. Nick threw punch's left and right. Jab, jab, jab, cross, jab, cross, cross, jab, hook, jab, jab, hook, uppercut. Tears swarmed out of my eyes as I shoved Nick off of Ari's lifeless form. Even Ari hadn't done that much damage, not even remotely other than the bruise on Nick's neck.

"What did you do, you freaking monster?" I shrieked, feeling for a pulse. It was speeding up, incredibly fast, impossibly fast. As if the blood wouldn't go through Ari's body fast enough.

"He tried to kill me! He deserved it! He's the monster!" Nick growled.

"He saved me from being sexually harassed! You call that a monster? I would've killed you too!" I shouted, and Ari's eyes flickered. It was the strangest thing what I saw then, two golden eyes, yet they weren't human. More like a dogs, with huge pupils and hardly any of the whites of his eyes showing.

"Max..." He muttered, his voice coming in and out of focus. I whipped out my phone and called JJ, she was my closest friend out of all the girls, and I'm sure she could bring me the supplies too. After a quick phone call, I heard the roar of her engine, that girl sped like no tomorrow, and ended up knocking over a trash can before throwing on the parking break and running towards us. Nick stood there, staring at Ari like he was a freak.

"I got everything." JJ said, dropping the supplies. "What else can I do?" She asked, looking at Ari in horror.

"Beat the crap out of pop tart." I decided, wiping all the blood off Ari's face.

"Why not?" And the next thing I heard was a lot of cracking noises and 'oof's.

Yeah, that was the worst Sunday of my life. Ari ended up in the hospital. Nick ended up with a sling for his arm, and I ended up wondering what Ari was going to tell me before Nick showed up.

**Okay, so, keep guessing! 2 guesses per person. One chance each chapter until I get a qualified winner. (has an account)**

**Soar on**

**T**


	6. Perfect Other Half

**I don't own MR**

**Fang**

**Max**

I wanted to just break down and sob staring at Ari's sleeping form. He was so calm and sweet-looking. To anyone he was a boy trying to defend me and practically being killed in the process, but to me, he was a freaking hero who saved me from an idiot and would obviously go to jail for me.

"Ari, please wake up." I whispered, squeezing his hand. Apparently Nick's little round hadn't just knocked Ari out, but slightly cracked his skull. He had been in a coma for a week and it was scaring me.

All the girls had visited at separate times, but I was always here. Ari was like Iggy, I wouldn't live without him, I couldn't live without him. His parents had come in on the day and his father was crying. I thought that was something I should tell Ari when he woke up- That his family really cares about him.

His sisters were here now, they had just walked in after I asked Ari to wake up. But I barely realized them. "Are you Ari's girlfriend?" One of them asked. They both had pretty good style, seemed to be twins. In a sick and twisted way, Ari could be like the guy version of Cinderella.

"No. but I'm his best friend." I muttered, just glancing at them.

"Is he gonna be okay?" The one with blue eyes asked, stepping forward and looking at her brother.

"I don't know honestly. He's in a coma and-"

"Oh God Ashley! This is our fault! Why'd we have to be so mean to our baby bro?" Ashley's sister wailed out and hugged her tight.

"Oh calm down Lauren. I'm sure he'll be fine. He's Ari. He pulls through everything." Ashley whispered, mouthing a goodbye to me and leaving. Something told me Lauren wasn't emotionally stable.

I looked down at Ari, studying the strands of hair that leaked over his closed eyes, and his skin that seemed to glow.

"WAKE UP!" I screamed at him. Wanting to slap him, but something stopped me. Was it the beeping noise. Oh god! Had I just killed my best friend? Panicking like I never do, I slapped Ari.

"Ow! God Max! What the cheese was that for?" Ari growled, rubbing his cheek suddenly. What the heck?

"You're thing was beeping really quickly! I thought you were dead!" I exclaimed.

"Uh Max.. I'm only dead if it's one long continuous beep. And come on, Nick didn't pound me that hard." Ari mumbled, looking dazed and confused. "Where am I? How long have I been out?"

"A week. Ari I hate you!" I shrieked, hugging him tight. My mind reeled as he stroked my hair.

"I got you flowers, and a necklace, but I left them in the woods when I saw him... touching you." Ari whispered.

"Thanks, but it's not my birthday." I told him. Why would he have gotten me anything?

"Max... that's not why I got you the necklace..." Ari whispered. His voice trailed off and he pulled away from me, just to press his lips against mine. I was freaking out. I've only known Ari a couple weeks, and now he was kissing me. A confusion of emotions swarmed through me.

His lips were so gentle, so sweet, I was slowly melting. His arms wrapped around my waist and I couldn't help but notice the shiver that ran down my spine. Ari was confusing me, but I liked how he did it. My fingers ran through his spiky hair and my heart skipped a beat at the feeling of his tongue against my bottom lip.

Unfortunately, my senses chose this moment to kick in and I yanked away from Ari. He froze, and seemed to know what was going on just by glancing at me.

"Max I'm sorry. But I really like you and I needed to tell you." I stood up, other than that movement, paralyzed as I looked at him. Ari, my best friend. Ari, my brother. Ari, the kid who reminded me of Gazzy who I'd never loved in an intimate way. Ari, the guy that was now making my heart flutter.

Ari the sweetest guy on earth, he wouldn't hurt a fly, he'd take the shirt off his back and give it to someone in need, and, the last thing I wanted to do was hurt him. But my emotions were all jumbled, so all I could do was...

Suddenly, I got feeling back in my body and took off, sprinting down the halls and leaving, my best friend to sit on that hospital bed, wondering what he did wrong, wondering if I hated him, wondering if things would ever be normal. I felt like a jerk. I felt horrible, I felt... like I just ran out on a guy who really liked me, for me. A guy who I really liked, for him.

I stopped in the lobby, and took a couple deep breaths. "Oh Ari, what have you done to me?" I asked myself in a whisper.

**Line Break**

I didn't answer Ari's phone calls, or texts, I deleted his voice mails without listening to them, I cried a lot over the weekend. On Monday. I saw him, getting beat up by the jocks. They stuffed him in a locker and just before they shut the door, I blocked it with my foot.

"What are you doing?" I snarled.

"He likes the pain. Don't you Ariel?" One jock growled menacingly. I punched him in the face and roundhouse kicked him in the stomach.

"Leave _Ari _alone." I growled. Most of the jocks backed off, but that was because they still had broken noses from last time. Kids passed by as if this was normal, which it was. The guys all walked away, mumbling things to each other.

I sighed and looked at the locker Ari had been shoved into, but he wasn't there. I glanced around to find him already walking down the hall. I jogged and caught up to him, without saying a word, I dragged him out of the school and into the courtyard.

"I'm gonna be late for first period, Max." Ari snapped. "I cringed at the way he said my name, the venom behind it. Btu the really scary thing was the hurt and sadness in Ari's beautiful eyes.

"I'm sorry for running out on you Ari! I was scared and confused and I couldn't think straight. I still can't think straight, and I-" My voice broke and I wavered a bit, feeling lightheaded. Silent tears slipped out- but only a couple.

Ari wiped them away and hugged me tight. "I know you're sorry, and I know I messed up your emotions pretty bad. And I'm sorry for that. I just- Max, I know we've only known each other a couple weeks, but something just pulls me to you. I think I... I like you a lot, maybe even love. I want you- no I need you to at least look me in the eye and tell me you don't like me. Then it will all go away." Ari whispered.

"I can't tell you that, Ari, cause I think... I like you back." I whispered, looking up at him. And then he surprised me, smashing his lips against mine and pushing me against the school wall. Was he a great kisser once I got passed my panic attack? Yes. Was I in heaven at the moment? Yes. Was I kissing him back? Duh!

"Oh, so you're dating the monster now?" Ari winced and spun around, growling deep in his throat. We both knew who that voice belonged to.

"Stay away from Max." Ari shouted, fist clenched.

"Why did you have to ruin that? I was actually enjoying myself!" I snapped at Nick. Ari looked at me and smirked, but didn't say anything.

"Frankenstein, bride of Frankenstein. It's Monday. Who am I dating this week since you had to delay it because-"

"Because you put Ari in a hospital!" I shouted.

"Whatever." Nick muttered.

"Angel's first." I said with a sigh, then intertwined my fingers with Ari's before walking off with him, pulling him away from Pop Tart.

During lunch, we all sat together, Nick next to Angel. I doubt anyone would notice Ari and I holding hands under the table, but I was still cautious. I mean, if I told everybody now, it would be the subject of the day. Unfortunately, Ari gave us away when he kissed me on the cheek, just because he could now.

"OHMYGAWSH!" Nudge squealed. "You and Ari? You guys are so cute together!" She decided loudly.

"Just remember, you started this." I told Ari, he seemed confused.

"Started what?" Ari asked, but before I could answer, the questions began.

"How did this happen?"

"When did this happen?"

"Did Ari use the big L?"

"Are you gonna treat Max right?"

"How many girlfriends have you had before Max?"

"You guys are so cute! You have to get matching rings!"

"Or bracelets!"  
"Or necklaces!"

"For Halloween you should be Jack and Rose from the Titanic!"

"Oh you're so cute together! Ari, kiss her right now!" And there was a small cheer and suddenly the whole table was chanting 'KISS KISS KISS KISS' Before I knew it, it was the whole cafeteria.

"See what you did?" I whispered.

"Sorry." Ari muttered "So we're not gonna kiss?" He asked.

"Of course we're gonna kiss. I know what happens when you don't." No sooner did I finish saying that then Ari crushed his lips against mine and wrapped his arms around my was one loud 'AWWWWWW' from everyone in the school pretty much as I snaked my arms around Ari's neck. The kiss ended though, and Ari and I just looked at each sorry, foreheads pressed against one another's.

"This has been an eventful day." I acknowledged.

"Yeah. One in which my wildest dream came true." Ari told me, and our table 'awww'ed.

"You guys are so awesome together! You need to have a romantic montage!" Brigid decided.

"No." Ari and I said together.

"But, if Max is interested, I was wondering if you'd liked to go on a date with my Friday night. A movie maybe? Or dinner? I'm good with anything really." Ari added, sounding a little panicked, as if he didn't think the movie or dinner would be good enough.

I smiled. "Anything, as long as I'm with you." I whispered so only he heard me. Ari blushed and looked down at the ground, obviously ignoring the curious expressions from our fellow table members. I smirked at him and went back to eating my own food.

**Line break**

I spent flock time hanging with Iggy and Ari. Ari's head was in my lap, my head was against Iggy's shoulder, and Iggy had one of his legs entangled with mine. If you didn't know us, you'd look at this picture and be like 'love triangle' but I didn't like Igs like that.

"So my two sidekicks, what are we going to do today?" I asked. Ari leaned up just enough to give me a quick kiss.

"Some of that." He decided, winking at me.

"And we gotta watch Nick and Angel." I nodded in agreement with Igs as Ari adjusted himself on my lap again.

"Max, you're my first girlfriend. I thought maybe we could just spend today together, you know?" Ari said. I nodded.

"Sure, come stakeout with me and Iggy." I told him. Ari smiled.

"I thought you'd never ask!" He said, and beamed at me. I smirked and brushed his hair with my fingers.

"You guys are really a good couple. I think you're perfect for each other." Iggy said.

"You're like my perfect other half, Max." Ari whispered.

"And you're mine." I told him.

Not to brag but, Ari and I were the most perfect couple you could ask for. Especially cause he knew me so well.

**CONGRATULATIONS! To 20 toes for being the first one to guess the correct answer: Ari. It was quite obvious after the last chapter and a lot of you got it right, however, 20 toes was first, and therefore got a sneak peek at the epilogue **ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR 20 TOES****

**Don't worry though! There will be more contest. Only the character won't come in later like for this one. (sorry bout that) Honestly, in my original plan, Ari didn't exist, but now he does so yeah.**

**Soar on **

**T**


	7. ARI IS A DOG?

**I don't own MR**

**Max**

Ari kissed me... again. It was the third time... since we entered CiCi's pizza. "Ari. Love you too, babe, but cool your tofu sausage down." I muttered. Okay, so I really liked it when he kissed me, and he knew that. But Igs was sitting right there next to me. I planted a kiss on his cheek.

"So you're not totally left out!" I said, smiling. Ari didn't seem to care, mostly because he knew how Iggy's and my relationship worked.

"I just want JJ already! Heck, at this point, I could go for Nudge or Ella too! I haven't had a girlfriend in three days and it's _killing _me, Max!" Iggy groaned, then took a bite of pizza. "Why don't we come here more often?" He asked, his mouth full.

"Ew Igs!" I mumbled, kicking him lightly. He smirked and swallowed.

"Max, what do you say we ditch the veggie and go make out? Please? I'm desperate here." Iggy said, leaning closer to me.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You ain't sucking my girlfriend's face off with that vacuum you call a mouth!" Ari snapped. "I mean sure, a little cheek action, I could care less, but seriously, her lips are mine." Ari insisted. Iggy snickered.

"Relax, it was just a test, young grasshopper! You passed!" Iggy patted Ari's head and I smirked.

"When he calls you a 'grasshopper' it means he's gonna teach you his bomb-making ways. And that also means that if you ever blow me up with anything, I will have to break your hands and rip them off your arms." I told Ari, a sweet smile on my face.

"I'm torn between being turned on, and scared. Cause you look hot when you threaten someone." Ari said, winking at me and going back to his macaroni pizza. I liked how he was more open and sarcastic and funny now that we were together. He held my hand under the table like yesterday at lunch and it felt good to know someone liked me for me.

"Ari, can you please go get me another slice of macaroni, spinach, sausage, and three of those powdered brownies?" I asked, smiling innocently.

"Sure, Max." Ari kissed my cheek and headed off, eating his pizza as he went towards the back of the line. Man, this place was packed.

"He really is a keeper huh?" Iggy asked, nudging me and wriggling his eyebrows.

"Shut up, Igs! I like him a lot, but... I don't know. I get this feeling that he's hiding something from me." I muttered, frowning as I said it out loud. He was hiding something from me. I could tell. "Do you notice how he kinda seems desperate for me to like him back?" I asked.

"Max, he does everything you want for you, he constantly kisses you, holds your hand whenever he gets the chance- and that's just today. Not only is he desperate for you, he's in love with you. It's kinda insane really." Iggy said.

"Why would he be so desperate though? That's what I don't get." I mumbled.

"Max, he's abused. He doesn't get love at home. So when you come around liking him, he's not gonna take it for granted obviously. He's going to do whatever it takes to get you to keep liking him. And I mean _whatever _it takes." Iggy couldn't stress that word enough.

"When did you do all this research Mr. know-it-all?" I asked.

"When we found out he was abused. I was wondering about side effects to it and stuff. It's simple math. Zero plus one equals one. Max, he was zero, you were that one. And now he's one too. And he doesn't want to be zero again." I thought about what Iggy said while I ate my pizza and brownies.

**Line Break**

When we got back to my place, Iggy and I raced upstairs while Ari just kinda jogged behind. Iggy and I laughed loudly at the comedy we popped in, while Ari just smiled. Iggy and I had a popcorn fight. Ari just had a few pieces. What was up with him?

"Bye Igs." I said after the movie was over.

"But I-"

"Bye Iggy!" I said through clenched teeth, imperceptibly glancing at Ari. Iggy got the idea and left, leaving behind the mess he had made while making a popcorn bomb. That went off I might add.

"So, what's going on in the life of Ari?" I asked plopping down on my bed.

"The usual." Ari muttered, laying next to me.

"What's the usual?" I asked, poking his side. Ari let out a small laugh and pushed me playfully.

"Oh you know, punch here, kick there, big yelling matches leading to a couple slaps. No biggie." Ari mumbled. I looked at my friend, suddenly serious.

"Is that why you're acting weird, or is it something else?" I asked, resting a hand on Ari's cheek. He winced slightly and his eyes shifted from dog eyes to human. It was so fast, I blinked a couple times to make sure I wasn't crazy. Maybe I had been seeing things.

"You'd think I'm a crazy, if I told you." Ari whispered, stroking my hair.

"Ari, I've practically lived with Igs. Try me." I whispered.

"I could show you actually. But you have to promise you won't hate me first." Ari said, sounding a little timid.

"I promise." I muttered.

"Can you tell me you love me too?" Ari asked, and I felt myself stiffen a little at his request. "You can't," He had noticed how tense I was. "That's okay, I don't expect you to. I just wanna be able to still be your friend after I show you." Ari told me, pulling me a little closer.

"I really like you, Ari. It's a little early for love... but I really like you. And nothing you could show me would change that... unless you're secretly a girl." I joked, trying to lighten the intense mood. No laughter.

Okay, I loved Ari! Happy now? I told you guys for the sake of you knowing. But you're crazy if you think I'm going to tell Ari that on the third day of our relationship! Or would it be the second? I don't think the hospital day counts, so second.

"Max, I love you, and it's not just because of Iggy's accurate theory. It's because... well, this is going to sound so Twilight related, but I kinda- um, when I first so you, I imprinted on you." Ari gulped, as if saying this would suddenly make me understand. I smirked.

"Haha! What are you saying? You're a werewolf?" I asked, laughing until I saw that look on Ari's face.

"My dad created me. He doesn't call me a werewolf," Ari stood up and rolled his shoulders, and I watched in horror as he transformed from my boyfriend to some dog! "He calls me an Eraser."

Who else didn't see that coming? I'll tell you something, I was one hundred percent freaked out, scared as hell. I mean, what do you do when your boyfriend is part bloodthirsty beast? I felt more like I was on teen wolf than Twilight at that moment. God, he terrified the hell out of me.

**OOH! Major cliffy! Am I right? I'm right.**

**You hate me for ending it there, don't you? Too bad! Review and you'll find out if Max dumps the dog or keeps him anyways! And yes, I looked it up, wolves do imprint in a way in real life if you didn't know!**

**Soar on**

**T**


	8. Poptart Strikes Again!

**I don't own MR**

**Max**

Okay, what do you do when you just find out your boyfriend is wolf/beast/human-thingy. An 'eraser' as he called it. Well, I did the most natural thing of course...

I screamed bloody murder and scrambled off my bed into a corner, grabbing a bat that oh-so conveniently was in that very corner. I would've made a break for the door, but that's where Ari was. All wolfed up and scary-looking.

"Max, calm down." He said, stepping closer, I pointed my bat at him.

"Don't..." My voice was so shaky I wondered if the words were even audible. My hands were even shakier as I dropped the bat and slid down till I was sitting. "Please, leave me alone." I whispered. He rolled his shoulders, and I could hear the joints popping as he went human again. Then, Ari was standing in front of me. Not a hairy, wolf beast. A smooth-skinned, human beast.

"Max, don't hate me. I'd die if you hate me." Ari whispered, kneeling down next to me. And brushing my hair out of my eyes. I pushed him away, one hundred percent terrified.

"You- you're a- a dog!" I stuttered. He pulled me into his lap and hugged me tight. I struggled for a few minutes before realizing how useless it was.

"My dad... he experiments on graphing DNA. I was his test subject, when I was seven." Ari whispered, rocking me gently.

"That- that's horrible." I whispered, cause I didn't know what else to say, or do. I could've jumped up, knocked him out, and ran. But I didn't. Something inside me told me it was safe to be with him. Don't know what it was, but it must've been my psycho-side.

"Max, please don't leave me. I just, I had to tell you. I thought I could trust you, can I?" Ari whispered. I just wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my face into his shoulder for a moment.

Could he trust me? What if I let it slip? I never kept anything from my girlfriends, or Iggy for that matter.

"Can I tell anyone?" I mumbled.

"No." Ari said firmly. "I mean, if you do, I'll have to leave." He muttered. I thought for a moment. Could I keep this horrific secret? They would call me crazy anyways, so might as well.

"I don't want you to leave." I finally said, taking in a shuddering breath.

"You don't?" Ari seemed confused, like he was sure I'd want to kick him to the curb after that.

"I like you, Ari, nothing's going to change that." I mumbled, looking up at him. Did I mention he's like five inches taller than me? Well, he is.

"So, you still wanna be my girlfriend?" He asked.

"Yeah. I do." I whispered. No sooner had I said it than Ari kissed me. His kiss was still sweet, loving, and made my head spin. My mind went blank, and all that mattered was Ari and me. I curled my fingers in his spiky hair and just kissed him back for what seemed like forever.

"Gotta breathe." Ari finally mumbled against my lips. I didn't even realize he was pressed up against the wall until he said that. I pulled away and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry." I mumbled. Looking down.

"Don't be. No breathing for a couple minutes is fine by me." Ari said with a toothy grin. I smirked and punched his arm playfully. Standing up. _He's the same Ari_. I had to keep telling myself that to believe it.

**Line Break**

** T**oday at school, Pop tart cornered me... in the girls' locker room. I was the only one in there so it didn't matter if he was there or not, oh wait, _girls' _locker room. So it did matter. Very much.

"Last I checked you're missing two vital things a girl has." I sneered at him.

"Since when have you seen me shirtless?" Nick asked, smirking.

"Shut it, Pop tart! You're not aloud in here." I snapped. And then all the sudden I was backing into a shower stall as Nick got closer and closer, until I hit the wall. Pop tart snickered. His hands rested on either side of me, blocking me from escaping.

"I think you want me in here though." He smirked and placed his freaking snail lips on my neck! I kneed him where it counts, but my knee was what was hurting.

"I learned." Nick said simply, holding my wrists so I didn't punch him as he sucked on my neck. He was wearing a freaking cup. Nice... I guess he is smarter than the average bear at moments.

"This is harassment!" I snarled, as he stepped on my feet so I wouldn't kick him again.

"Not if you like it." Nick growled, trailing kisses down my neck, and over my collar bone, pulling my shirt down a little. Why did I wear a V-neck? He was so freaking close.

"I'll scream. Ari will come. He'll hurt you bad- might even kill." I threatened. Nick looked at me.

"I'm not afraid of your B****" He said and just before I screamed for Ari, his lips smashed against mine. I opened my mouth a little and as his tongue roamed, I bit down hard. Nick yelped and yanked away.

"What the hell?" He snarled, pushing me harder against the wall.

"AR-" His hand slapped over my mouth.

"Oh I don't think so." he whispered. I bit his hand until I tasted his bland blood. Nick hissed in pain.

"ARI!" I screamed as loud as I could. Nick held my shoulders tight, it hurt, but I still swung my fist into his gut. He doubled-over just as Ari ran in.

"Max what's- why do you have a bruise on your neck?" Ari asked, then glanced at Nick. "Please tell me it's a bruise." He added.

"Come on! I'm reporting the idiot!" I snapped, grabbing Ari's hand and running out of the room. A couple people gave Ari funny looks.

"I'm going to kill him." Ari whispered more to himself than me. "No, I'm not gonna kill him..." He said as we slowed to a walk. "I'm gonna torture him for the rest of his life for touching my Max." Yup, Ari was definitely talking to himself.

"Hon, come on. It's lunch." I mumbled, holding his hand as we entered the caf. We sat down at our usual spots and Iggy and his perviness was the first to talk.

"Oooo, Ari got him some!" He said. "Janitors' closet right? Some of my most bacon make-out sessions were there." Igs said, he wasn't lying either.

"Max! You need so concealer for that!" Lissa piped up, sliding some over the table. I smiled and pocketed it.

"Thanks, Lis." I smiled at her and ate my usual lunch. Pizza. Yum! Not. Too much pizza in one week. Okay, so pizza never gets old.

When Nick came in, Ari grabbed my hand under the table, he was seriously tense. He glared at Nick as he sat down next to Angel.

"Hey sweetheart, we're going to the movies tonight. I'll pick you up at eight. You can pay for the popcorn." He said casually. I snorted.

"She isn't paying for-"

"Okay!" I looked at Angel, bewildered. She just agreed for paying for those expensive concession prices?"

"You're paying for the whole damn thing unless you want me to go all ghetto on you!" Iggy snapped. Nick shrugged.

"Whatever." Ugh! I hated that jerk, and by the way Ari tightened his grip on my hand, he did too.

"You know, a nice guy would pay for the whole date." Ari muttered.

"You know, a bad boy doesn't give a s***" Nick muttered, mimicking Ari. My boyfriend growled. Oh nice. I began to wonder if he could fully control his eraserness as his eyes shifted. I nudged him and that brought him down to earth. He looked at me a moment as if to say '_we both wanna kill him right?' _I nodded slightly and took another bite of pizza. Ari grumbled something about sharp teeth and ripped a piece off his pizza, chewing angrily.

"Chill out bro, it's not like I'm taking your chick out." Nick muttered, rolling his eyes.

"You would if abuse was legal." Ari snapped. Everyone gave Ari a funny look as he stood up and left, slamming his tray in the trash and walking out of the caf entirely.

"Who tied his panties in a knot?" Nick mumbled.

"You, you harassing idiot!" I snarled. Now everyone was giving me a funny look.

"Ari didn't give me a hickey, that jerk over there did." I cleared up.

"You cheated on Ari?"

"You cheated with my boyfriend?"

"How could you?"

"He was so sweet!"

"He forced me against the wall! Nick over there harassed _me_!" I snapped. The table fell silent, and everyone looked at Nick.

"It's not harassment if you liked it." Nick said. Everyone looked at me again.

"I didn't! I had to call for Ari cause you wouldn't get off me!" I shrieked, furious. Heads turned to Nick.

"You liked it, Doll. Whether you admit it or not, you liked it." Nick said, and shrugged, then walked off. Angel followed him like a puppy. I scowled.

"You should go find Ari." Iggy said. Everyone nodded in agreement. I sighed and walked off, finding him in the courtyard, leaning against a tree. I snuck up on him and placed my hands over his closed eyes.

"I'm 5'9, the hottest chick in the school, and will beat you into oblivion if you hurt me. Guess who?" I smirked and Ari smiled, seeming to think

"Is it... JJ?" He asked, I punched him playfully and shoved him.

"No silly, it's the _hottest _girl, not the second hottest." I rolled my eyes as he said

"_Oh! _I don't see Ella around." Ari smiled and kissed me quickly. "Just kidding babe." he added.

"Better be. Come on. Don't let Pop tart get to you. You're way baconer than him!"

"Wait, why do you call him Pop tart? I like pop tarts, and you do too!" Ari accused.

"Oh, I don't know. His sarcasm is exceptional and his smirk is cute, and his hair is bacon, and black is totally chocolate!" I said, imitating how Brigid would say it. Ari chuckled and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Oh really? Is my hair Bacon?" Ari asked. I ruffled it up.

"Now it is." I said, smirking and gave him a quick peck. Ari pulled me back and deepened the kiss, slipping the concealer out of my pocket.

"You do realize I have to murder Nick, correct?" He whispered against my lips. I smiled and pulled back.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." I winked at Ari and he helped me put the make up on, covering all traces of the leech that had attacked my neck.

Yup. Ari was a dream guy. Nick was a nightmare guy. I had forgotten all about Ari's dogness by that time of school and everything was right again. Well, for that time anyways. Just wait till you hear about the craziness (okay, not really crazy, but kinda unbelievalbe) of our first date!

**So, I didn't really do a cliffy on this, other than the underlined section above. What do you think of Nick? I just noticed (thanks to 20 toes for bringing it up in a review) that Nick didn't evne annoy Max a little bit in the last chapter. So I did extra annoyance- okay not-so extra- in this chapter.**

**Soar on**

**VR**


	9. He Has a Heart?

**I don't own MR**

**Max**

I laughed at Ari as he did the moonwalk coming back. "Who just beat you so bad?" Ari asked, smirking at me.

"You did." I said rolling my eyes.

"Exactly. Is the great Maximum Martinez up for another game?" Music blared, the lights were low, a huge soda that Ari and I were sharing was sitting on the table, and I was with the best boyfriend I've ever had.

"Sure, I could go for losing again." I mumbled, since I suck at bowling. Ari's bowled one perfect game, and one seriously bad game just so I would win, and then this one he only beat me by two strikes. I know he's purposely doing that though, cause hello, he scored a perfect game that first round. It was sweet why he was doing it. Cause he knew how competitive I was.

"Hey, why you set it up, I'll go get us a pizza okay?" Ari gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"See you when you get back." He called as I left the lounge we were bowling in and headed off towards the restaurant. Which was right across from the arcade. After I ordered for us, I went over and was just about to play a game, when I saw him.

When I saw the King of jerks. Only, he wasn't with Angel,or a girl from school. He was with someone who couldn't be more than seven. She was smiling happily as he picked her up to get her closer to the basket as she shot the ball. They were at one of those basketball games you know?

"Fangy! Look at all the tickets I get!" The girl yelled. Fangy? WTSunflower Seeds?

"Yeah, you get a lot." Nick said, playing along as he grabbed the ten tickets, setting the girl down. "What do you wanna play next, Lexi?" He asked.

"Ooh! Can we play air hockey Fang? Please?" The girl, Lexi, begged with puppy dog eyes. Nick smiled and ruffled her hair.

"Sure sweetie." they walked over to the table and F- Nick swiped the card with all the credits on it. The game booted up and they began to play. I noticed how he was letting her win. Like Ari did with me. I smiled at the moment. Who would've thought Nick had a heart? Let alone for little girls that don't wear make-up and short skirts?

After Lexi won, she walked over to Fang (okay, I'm calling him that now, deal with it) and tugged on his jeans a little. "Can we go bowl now please? I really wanna bowl! Ooo! But first can I get a prize?" She asked, looking excited. Fang smiled, like a real smile, and picked her up.

"Of course you can." They walked over to the prize section and Lexi pointed at a small stuffed elephant.

"I want it!"

"We only have fifty tickets, Lexi. It's a hundred." Fang said quietly.

"But I really want it, Fang! Please!" Lexi gave him the puppy dog eyes and I was sure he'd cave.

"Sweetie, you know my job doesn't pay that much. I try to be the best big brother I can, but we can't play anymore games if we wanna eat." Fang kneeled down so he was at Lexi's height. Fang? Poor? Funny... where's the cameras? Am I being punked or something?

"Then I don't wanna eat! Oh please Fangy! I want Ellie so bad!" Lexi was begging down. She even dropped to her knees.

Fang sighed. "You already named it, how can I say no?" He picked Lexi up and went over to one of the workers, out of earshot. I couldn't believe it, Fang was being... nice? I saw him pull out his wallet and give the guy thirty bucks and fifty tickets, then the worker handed the elephant over to Lexi and Fang carried her towards the lounge. The must've already bought a lane there.

I got my pizza and hurried off to find Ari, oh great. We were in the lounge too. "Hey Ari, I got cheese since you know, you're a vegetarian." I muttered dryly. He smirked.

"Max, you could've gotten half and half, you know?" He said, taking a bite out of his pizza, and as he chewed, he frowned.

"What, did they use meat sauce?" My turn to smirk.

"No. but it seems you have a stalker." Ari growled. I looked up to see Fang in the lane three down from ours. He had put the bumpers up for Lexi and was cheering for her, even though she only knocked like five of the ten pins down after her first round.

"It's cool Ari, he's just here with his little sister." I said, shrugging. Ari gave Fang one more glance before leaving it at that and digging into the pizza as if nothing ever happened.

"Okay, so this time I'll teach you how to bowl since you obviously have no clue." Ari said, smiling.

I snorted. "Good luck at that. I suck." I said plainly.

"No Max, you don't suck, you just need to be taught bowling-coordination." Ari explained.

"Bowling coordination?" I asked, raising an eyebrow like _Really?_

"Yeah, bowling coordination, come on." Ari led me over to the bowling balls and I picked mine up.

"I swear to Bacon, if you go all High School Musical on me I will slap you into next week."

"Wild cats!" Ari sang jokingly, and I pushed him and rolled my eyes. He snickered and stood behind me. "No but seriously, just aim for that center arrow and add a little twist," Ari guided my hand through the motions. "Okay, let go." I did and the most cliché thing happened. I got a strike.

And then another cliché thing happened, I squealed and kissed Ari. "That was the first strike I've ever gotten since... ever! We are so cliché!" I said out loud, laughing. Ari snickered too.

"I know right. But its worth it if you kiss me." Ari said. I blushed a little. "Come on, pizza's gonna get cold." I nodded and realized we still had to eat the rest of the pizza.

As we walked towards the couch (Cozy right?) I just happened to glance over at Fang. Are eyes locked for a moment and everything changed from then on.

**Line Break**

At school next Monday, Brigid was absolutely ecstatic to be Fang's girlfriend. Joy for her... I rolled my eyes as she batted her eyelashes at F- I really need to start calling him Nick again. Anyways, so at free period he pulled me away from Ari, Iggy, and JJ. Ari tensed up but I shook my head and followed Fang.

"So, I saw you at the bowling alley, Friday." He drawed out.

"Yeah, so, Fangy? You a sucker for puppy dog eyes, huh?" I asked casually. He looked at me and smirked.

"Stalker." He accused.

"She's really cute, you know? It's kinda sweet what you did for her." The smirk fell off Fang's face.

"Please don't tell anybody about my... situation. Lexi and I have just been scraping by ever since our parents died." Fang whispered.

"I won't tell anyone. You don't gotta worry- wait, you do. You seriously need to lay off of me, or I won't mind being heartless and telling everyone." I threatened.

"Fine, I have officially laid off." Fang said, throwing his hands up in surrender.

"Good, then your secret's safe with me. Oh and, where do you work?" I asked.

"Not telling you." Fang snapped, crossing his arms defiantly.

"Fine, then one day I might accidentally walk in with my friends-"

"You know the Ice Cream parlor down the street? I work there on the weekends." Fang caved.

"Who watches Lexi?" I asked. He gave me a funny look. "I heard you call her that." I added.

"Uh... Alexis comes with me cause I can't afford a babysitter." Fang shrugged as if it was no big deal.

"Cool." I muttered.

"Oh, and I'm still gonna be sarcastic with you, doll. I just want make out with you anymore, not matter how much you beg." Fang winked at me and smirked. I rolled my eyes and shoved him.

"Let's get back with the gang before Ari comes searching." I said, and Fang and I headed back to the small group. The three looked at us expectantly and I just plopped down in Iggy's lap, resting my legs on top of Ari's, that were stretched out in front of him. And used JJ's shoulder as a pillow. Fang snickered.

"You got your own personal bed huh?"

"Shut it Pop Tart. Say, how many flavors of ice cream...?" My voice trailed off as I smirked. Fang glared at me and walked off. Oh, this would be fun. This would be evilly fun.

So yeah, turns out Fang does have a beating heart in the what-I-thought-was a hollow chest. And I guess I couldn't hate him that much if he actually had the ability to love and be kind. But come on, I had some juicy info on him, and boy was I gonna use it to my advantage until I couldn't anymore!

**Okay I was so into this story I typed this up today. I hope y'all like sweet-Fang. Do you? Do you not? (Please don't throw things at me for making him sweet* So, this is a little Pre-fax foreshadowing thingy mabob. Letting you all know he ain't too far gone! **

**Soar on**

**T**


	10. An IceCream, A date, and A Slap

**I don't own MR**

**Fang**

Another boring weekend at work. Nothing exciting ever happens here. I sighed and looked over at my sweet little girl, sleeping peacefully in a booth. Oh Lexi I wish I could be your dream brother. I wish I could give you everything. I wish you could still give me that winning smile without sadness hidden behind it. I wish you had a better family than me.

I glared at my ridiculous shirt. Black and white striped like a referee's. What did this place take me for anyways? "This is for Lexi." I whispered to myself, just before my first costumer walked in. the moment I saw her, I scowled.

"What are you doing here?" I snapped, looking behind Max to make sure she hadn't brought and of her friends. Nope. All alone.

"I thought I'd get some ice cream." She said simply, looking at all the displayed flavors.

"What do you want?"I snarled.

"Uh triple scoop. Chocolate, birthday cake, and cookie dough." Max said simply.

"Okay." I mumbled, grabbing a large waffle cone with chocolate in it.

"Who said I wanted that?" Max asked, hand on hip. What was with her? Why was I drawn to her? She obviously didn't like me, yet I was constantly thinking about her, wanting her. I wish my hormones would just go away so I wouldn't accidentally say 'mmmm Max' again when I was making out with Brigid. Which she really is a way better kisser than Brigid, I guess I just zoned out and pretended I was kissing her. Bottom line, I got slapped and Brigid was now out of the contest.

"I don't know, you just look like the kinda girl that wants a chocolate waffle cone." I muttered, shrugging.

"Damn right I am. Come on boy, get my ice cream if you want a tip." I stopped mid-scoop.

"Nobody ever tips me." I snapped, continuing on.

"Maybe it's because you snap at everyone." Max muttered. I handed her her ice cream and she handed me the payment, along with a hundred dollar bill. My jaw dropped and my throat went dry.

"Th- th- that's not r- real is it?" I stuttered, staring at the bill in awe.

"Of course it's real! Take the tip, Fang." I gave Max a questioning look. Did she just call me Fang? "What? It suites you!" Max exclaimed, annoyed,stuffing the hundred dollar bill in my shirt pocket.

"Max, I can't take that much money from you. It's not right. Especially not after all I-"

"Look Fang, I get it. There's this whole guy pride thing. Tell you what, pay me back whenever. But I know you need cash, and I know it's not much. Just let me help you out, okay?" Max said. I looked at her for a moment, she really wanted to help me but we both knew a hundred bucks would only pay for so much.

"Alright." I sighed and took her hand. "Just... thanks okay? You're being really nice and I don't know why considering I've harassed you plenty of times. I don't know how I can-"

"It's okay, Fang. Just, promise me you'll be a good big brother to Lexi. Cause she doesn't need the same bad influence at home, that's at school." I could feel rise at the back of my neck and looked down.

"I act like who I really am around her, which isn't who you see at school." I whispered.

"I know. You're really sweet with her, and if you'd acted like that when I first met you, you might've had a chance. But you don't now. Oh and, when you get to JJ, don't hurt her. She was my best friend long before everyone, and I know how willing and sensitive she can be sometimes." Max said. I nodded and heard a yawn.

**Max **

"Fang! Is that your new girlfriend? She's so pretty!" Lexi ran up to me and smiled. "Can you put my hair back, Fangy can never do it right. He always messes up on my braid!" I smiled and nodded.

"I'm not Fang's girlfriend, I'm just his friend." I told her as I brushed her hair back with my fingers, it was a dark brown. I braided her hair and watched the smile on Fang's face grow as he watched me work. Then I picked Lexi up and sat her on the counter.

"What do you think Fang?" I wondered, smirking.

"Wonderful. Much better than me. You gotta teach me that sometime, Martinez." Fang winked at me and took Lexi to the bathroom to show her the french braid I had put in her hair. I smiled and just happened to look at the clock.

"Fang! I gotta go! I'm late for my date!" I shouted as he came back. I handed the ice cream to Lexi. "Eat up!" and sped out the door.

Ari was sitting on my porch step, waiting for me. He didn't seem annoyed or bored, in fact he was talking to someone on the phone.

"No I will not come home right now!

I'm going on a date Lauren!

Yes I'm wearing decent clothes

yes it's the girl from the hospital

no, I will not take her to see that movie!

Because it's a chick flick and I have standards!

You know what, if she wants to see it then we'll go! But as far as I'm concerned we're seeing Avengers.

It's not supposed to be romantic.

I don't plan to 'make a move' on her. I just wanna watch the freaking movie!

She's not a slut Lauren! Why would you say something like that?

She totally likes me!

I know because... why would she kiss me if she didn't?

No, I'm not giving you any details!

Because it's none of your business!

Fine, go tell mom, she's gonna beat me anyways.

Yeah, hate you too, gotta go, bye!" Ari slammed his phone shut and stuffed it in his pocket, looking up to see me for the first time. His eyes flashed for a second before going back to normal as he smiled.

"Hey Max, how's it going?" Ari asked, standing up and giving me a quick kiss.

"Good. Sorry I'm late." I muttered.

Ari shrugged. "You're not late. It's no big deal, Max." He wrapped and arm around my shoulders and we walked over to his car and hopped in, heading for the movie theater.

"That was such an awesome Movie, Ari! But really, you didn't have to pay for all the candy I wanted." I told him.

"Max, I asked you out! Not the other way around. Of course I had to pay." Ari smiled and kissed me sweetly. UGH! I hate how every time he does that my mind goes blank and all I can think about is... no that can't be right.

Alright, you're wondering what I though about? Well, when I kissed Ari that time, Fang flashed through my head. Scary right?

But the thoughts slowly faded and then it was just me and Ari. Did I mention we were in his car? It wasn't as awkward as you'd think it would be. In fact, it was quite simple after Ari picked me up slightly and set me on his lap. I pulled away and leaned back just a bit, and wouldn't you know it? I hit the horn. It went off for a good five seconds before I jumped (literally) into the passenger seat.

Ari yelped and was holding his ears until the sound stopped. I questioned why when I remember half-dog, therefore very sensitive hearing. "I'm sorry." I whispered, kissing Ari's cheek.

"No biggie." He mumbled, and then started chuckling!

"What?" I demanded.

"You're just so cute." Ari muttered, smiling at me in a way that he hadn't before. In a way that made my bones melt.

"Take me home please." I whispered, blushing furiously as I stared at my shoes. Ari smirked and put the car into gear.

"Anything for you, sweetheart." Ari drove in silence, but not towards my house.

"Where are we going?" I asked him,glaring at the unfamiliar street signs.

"Aren't you hungry? I ate all the popcorn. I figured we could get a bite while we're out." Ari suggested with a shrug. I blushed with embarrassment when my stomach growled and nodded weakly. Ari laughed and drove on.

"So, where are we going?" I asked.

"It's a surprise." Ari told me. We drove for a good twenty minutes before he turned into a parking lot. "Hope you like Italian." He told me as I saw the Olive Garden sign. Without answering I hopped out of the car and sprinted towards the entrance. Pushing the doors open and demanding a table for two.

By the time Ari came in, I was already sitting down and had ordered out drinks. He gave me a questioning look and sat across from me.

"I guess you like Italian." He mumbled as the bread sticks and salad came. Ari reached for a bread stick but I slapped his hand away and pulled the basket of them to my side. "And bread sticks." Ari added. "Can I pwease have one?" He asked, using the cutest pouty face I'd ever seen in my life. It was hard to shake my head, and after his eyes went into Bambi mode I found myself sighing and handing him one. "Thank you Maxie." He leaned over the table and gave me a quick kiss before sitting back down and eating the bread stick.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't get to used to it." I snapped. A waitress came over and took our orders, and I wasn't sure, but I think she flirted with Ari. Then again, she could've just honestly been saying how good the order he picked was... yeah right!

He was looking even better today since he had dressed up for the date. Black skinny jeans, white shirt, black leather jacket, red high tops, and his hair had obviously been gelled considering it was kinda in a Mohawk. Plus his eyes were sparkling (Not in a gay or girly way, but in a way like Fang's- er- I did not just say that) because of the gold color that they were. And his perfectly white smile would hook any girl in seconds.

"Why did you let her flirt with you?" I asked once she was gone. Ari gave me a questioning look.

"Is Maxie jealous or something? Come on, she was just telling me that what I ordered was a good choice." Ari shrugged.

"Ari, you're clueless. And no I'm not jealous. We both know I don't feel that emotion. Just- ugh! Why do you have to look so hot?" I blurted out. Ari smirked and I covered my mouth. Why did I just say that?

"I'm never letting you live that down." Ari said, patting my hand and then taking a sip of the coke he had ordered.

"I meant you're sweating!" I lied quickly.

"No I'm not. You think I'm sexy, don't you Max?" The grin on Ari's face was from ear to ear as I blushed rapidly and looked down at the table.

"I- uh- shut up! I never said that." I exclaimed, chewing on my lip. Stupid Ari! Stupid waitress! Stupid... hotness!

"All you gotta say is you don't. But you haven't yet, and you've had a good two minutes to do so." Ari pointed out, quickly moving next to me. "Three minutes now, still no denial." He whispered, now dangerously close.

"This is a family restaurant, Ari." I muttered.

"Maybe we should go somewhere else then." He whispered, kissing me sweetly. I rolled my eyes and smirked at his disappointed face when I pushed him back.

"Uh, uh,uh! No kissing until after we eat!" I chimed. Ari frowned.

"Awww! Do I have to wait so long?" He asked.

"Yes." I snapped.

Ari sat there next to me, tapping his fingers on the table impatiently, staring at a spot on the seat across from us and his cheek rested in his hand, his elbow on the table. I don't think I've ever seen him this bored. But can you blame him? It's been almost an hour since we ordered.

"Hey, Max, wanna play I spy?" Ari asked with a bored tone,

"I spy with my little eye, a very bored person." I said sarcastically.

"Don't you mean personsssss" he hissed out. "It's been a whole freaking hour. Olive Garden has never disappointed like this before."

"I know right, I'm kinda tired." I muttered, leaning against Ari's shoulder and closing my eyes.

"Well finally." I heard him grumble five minutes later. "What took so long?" He asked louder a I opened my eyes to see the two plates of food set out in front of us.

"I'm terribly sorry..." The girl's voice trailed off, as if waiting for Ari to give her his name. He didn't. Good for him! "Sir." She spat, as if the word was venom. "But we had many other orders ahead of you-"

"Bull." Ari muttered, cutting the girl off. She looked appalled, but all the same walked away with her head down.

"You didn't have to be so mean." I told Ari.

"I'm starving Maxie, I'm sorry. Hungry Ari equals mad Ari." He muttered, digging into his pasta. I nodded and we ate our meal, laughing and talking like old friends would, only we weren't just friends anymore.

I snorted at Ari, who was trying to make me laugh by looking one hundred percent stupid, but couldn't help but snicker a bit.

When we finished, Ari paid with little protest from me (seventy-eight dollar dinner. I didn't even have twenty dollars on me!) But I got the tip after much coaxing. (Though that flirt didn't get much) and then we headed home.

Ari walked me to my front door, our fingers interlaced. Ari gave me a quick kiss before mumbling something I didn't understand.

"Huh?" I raised an eyebrow and he looked me in the eye.

"I think I love you Max." Ari whispered, and everything that was me froze. "You don't have to love me back or anything!" Ari said quickly, "I just thought you should know!" Ari looked me over with concern in his eyes. "Had bad did I just screw this all up?" He asked, letting my hand go and taking a step back.

I blinked and looked at Ari. Love? That was new. No one's really ever 'loved' me but my brother. "I'm sorry-" Ari started but I jumped on him with a hug and kissed him before he could finish that sentence. Ari stumbled back against my door and wrapped his arms tight around my waist automatically. We could've been like that for seconds, minutes, days even and I wouldn't have known. Until that is, Ari fell on his back- taking me down with him- with an oof.

I smiled at the klutz until I realized the front door was open, mom was glaring at me, and I had just been in a heated make out session with Ari. Oh and to top it all off, I had landed on top of the guy who was supposed to be Iggy's boyfriend. (yes, we said Ari was gay to so he could spend the night with JJ, Igs, and I.)

"Uh Max, mind telling me why you're making out with a gay person?" Mom asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh... he's Bi?" I suggested.

"Experimenting my sexuality?" Ari tried.

"Getting Max grounded for a month?" Mom snapped.

"Miss Martinez," Ari lifted me off of him and stood up. How much did I weigh? Nothing to Ari apparently as he set me down. "Please don't punish Max. this was all my idea!" Ari said quickly. "I was bringing her home and got sidetracked. I'm really sorry-"

"Ari, I'm not letting you take the blame for this." I said, sighing and pushing him back.

"Mom,i was gonna have a boyfriend sooner or later!" I told her.

"He slept in the same room as you not so long ago. Max did you have-"

"NO! No, no, no, mental image! Gross! No mom! You could even test me if you wanted. Never!" I exclaimed quickly while Ari nodded vigorously.

"Hey! Wait a minute, did you just call me gross?"

"Not the time!" Me and mom snapped at Ari in sync. He shrunk back outside but smartly stayed in sight.

"And how can I trust you anyways? Iggy's not aloud over anymore! And I won't let you date that mutt!" Mom growled. She doesn't really like me. Dad did though.

"What mutt are you talking about? Ari is a gentleman through and through!" I shrieked as we glared at each other.

Mom rolled her eyes. "They pretend to be! He's nothing more than a rat out to get in your pants!"

"He could've easily done something by now if he really was that kind of guy, mom! We've been alone in my room, alone in his car, alone at school, alone at the park!" I exclaimed. My mom turned to Ari.

"You've ruined my daughter! You've brainwashed her with your pathetic lies! And you most certainly do not love her!" Mom snarled.

"Mom-"

"That's where you're wrong, Miss Martinez." Ari stepped back into the house. "I love Maximum more than anything in this world and I'd do anything for her. And frankly, if you are this disrespectful, I don't care about your opinion. Nothing's ever gonna change the way I feel about Max. and I hope nothing changes the way she feels about me." Ari added in a whisper.

"You-"  
"You have no right to call me anything or judge me by the way I look, I haven't done anything to you, or Max. S o therefore, and I mean this in the nicest way, shut up, get your facts straight, and then we'll talk-" Smack! Just like that mom. Slapped. Ari. I bit my lip as a low growl escaped his throat and his eyes flickered.

"You have no right to talk to me like that!" Mom snarled.

"Max, I'm leaving now before I kill someone." Ari muttered. "G'night." Ari gave me a quick peck before storming off to his car. He slammed the car door so loud I could hear it from in my house, with the front door shut.

"You are not to see that hoodlum anymore, Maxine-"

"That's not my name! And I'll date whoever the hell I want! I love Ari and nothing you do can change that" I growled and stormed upstairs and slammed my door shut. As I collapsed on my bed, realization hit me, I had jut said out loud that I loved Ari. And instantly, I knew it was true.

What a day, what a day? Don't you just love my mother? I hate her too. I hate to be related to that little lima bean! And poor Ari, being slapped like that, I almost slapped my own mother for doing that. But I didn't. And so Monday came, and surprise came with that day.

**Okay, 5 pages on word. Does that make up for the long time it took to update? Would it help if I told you this was 3,294 words? That's like double the usual chapter...**

**Soar on **

**VR**


	11. Death Threat

**I don't own MR**

**Max**

That Monday when I got to school, it was Ella's turn. And I was rather surprised at how uninterested Fang seemed in her as she shoved him against the lockers and stuffed her tongue in his mouth. He reluctantly kissed back and shot me a look that said _For the love of Pie, help me max! Please! I hate this girl! _

I nodded in understanding. The only reason Ella was actually in our group was because we felt sorry for her. "Hey Ella! Dylan likes you!" I called, earning a glare from Dylan as she skipped over to him, completely forgetting about Fang. He caught up to me, as I walked down the hall.

"Thanks, you're actually pretty cool when you get passed the jumps-to-conclusions part of you." Fang muttered.

"A full sentence, gold star for you!" I smirked, bumping into him lightly. Fang seemed to smile- whoa, wait, what? Smile?- at me and then went back to that arrogant smirk.

"I hope you're that star. Cause I few ideas of what to do with you it then." Not Fang's best, but I knew he was trying hard to lighten up on everything without fully stopping. He winked at me and I laughed.

"You're such a dork." I mumbled, shaking my head.

"Yes, but I'm your dork Maxie." Fang whispered in my ear,his teeth dangerously close.

"Say, how much for four scoops of ice cream?" I asked, raising my voice a bit. Some people gave me a funny look as Fang quickly backed off and I snickered.

"Karma will get you." Fang mumbled.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say pop tart!" I said absently, patting his shoulder and watching Ari fumble with something in his locker.

"Would that be for moi?" I asked, smiling at the necklace in Ari;s hand that he was messing with.

"I was gonna give it to you Saturday, but then I got this." Ari turned around, lifting his shades to reveal four jagged cuts on his cheek. Whoa! I hadn't seen those before.

"Wow, cat fight." Fang mumbled, walking up with us.

"Uh, do I need to hit him?" Ari asked.

"No, he's Ice for now. We'll just see how it goes." I assured.

"Okay, so, do you think I'm gonna have scars?" Ari touched his cheek and winced putting his shades back down, which at least covered up the bruise under his eye.

"What happened Ari? Did you sleep with Max? Is she good?" Fang wondered, getting an elbow in the stomach from me.

"No, her mom hit me with those claws she calls nails." Ari grumbled, rather embarrassed.

"My poor baby." I kissed Ari's cheek and I heard him sigh. "Better?" I poked his stomach.

Ari smiled and nodded. "Definitely." and leaned in to kiss me.

"NO PDA! OR SIJC!" Iggy screamed, walking up to us.

"What's SIJC?" Ari asked.

"Sex in Janitor's closet." I said.

"I want some of that!" Fang spoke up immediately. I rolled my eyes and smirked.

"Okay then Ella-" Fang slapped a hand over my mouth and I licked it.

"You don't know where my hand's been." Fang said, glancing down at his zipper. I almost barfed as I pushed him away, grabbed Ari's water, and started rinsing my mouth out.

"I'M GONNA HAVE TO BURN MY TONGUE!" I screamed while Igs, Fang, and even Ari laughed!

"Kidding, I have girls to do that for me." Fang joked, patting my arm. I growled and lunged, tackling the boy to the ground. He just continued to laugh at me. "This could be one our our positions during SIJC.." Fang whispered. I shoved him harder into the ground playfully and stood up.

"Oh shut your trap!" I muttered, leaning against Ari as he laughed. I liked his laugh, It was a really soothing, cute sound, versus Fang's sexy, deep laugh. Whoa, what just went through my head there? Nothing. I do not think Fang's laugh is sexy!

By this time everyone was laughing really hard except Ari, who was giving me a funny look. And I realized that I had just said that, all of that, starting with liking Ari's laugh and Ending with not thinking Fang's laugh was sexy, out loud.

"Uh Max, my laugh is... cute?" Ari said, saying cute like the word was toxic. "And his is sexy? Why does he get the better compliment?" Ari accused, and I was about to go off on him, until he smiled and I realized he was just joking.

"Hon, cute beats sexy any day." I said bravely, as Ari wrapped an arm around my waist. Not too high like someone who was scared and felt unworthy, but not too low either like Fang would probably be. I smiled and leaned my head on Ari's shoulder.

"So, to first period?" I asked.

"So, to the parking lot to skip school?" Fang asked.

"Let us go!" I decided and we all headed off to the parking lot. Glancing at Ari, I noticed he didn't want to kill Fang at the moment. Iggy was going on about a bomb, and everything was right... for now.

First we all went to the skating rink, mostly because we were all determined to be each other in the races and redlight greenlight. But until the new skated around showing off, well, except Ari he wouldn't step foot on the rink. After my tenth lap, I got bored without him and skated over to the booth us four had claimed.

"Come on Ari, come skate with me!" I whined, tugging his arm. He mumbled something and added a sharp "no!"

"Excuse me?" I snapped, smacking his head lightly. "Don't use that tone with me."

"Sorry Max. I... I've never actually skated before." Ari admitted. And with that I burst out laughing. Ari just grumbled under his breath while I focused on breathing.

"Sorry! Sorry! Never?" I asked, not believing my boyfriend. He shook his head.

"Never."

"We are changing that now!" I grabbed Ari;s hand and yanked him up, only for him to fall since he was at least wearing skates.

"I hate you." He mumbled, shakily getting to his feet and just standing there.

"Love you too, now come on." I pushed Ari's back and he rolled forward with a whimper. "Oh come on you big baby!" I grabbed Ari's hand and skated off, him slowly following, trying to figure out to move forward. I sighed... this was going to be one long night...

surprisingly enough, Ari came in third for the boys' group, right behind Fang, then Iggy. Which was surprising since there were some pretty fast people there. I of course got first in the girls' race and rolled to a stop in front of Ari, snickering as I plopped down on his lap in the booth. Fang and Igs sat across from us. Iggy snorted and fake-cried.

"I thought you sat in my lap Max! It feels so cold and lonely without you, you lap-whore!" Igster exclaimed, dabbing water from his cup under his eyes to make it look like he was crying. "Tear, tear, sob, sob." He mumbled, and we all burst out laughing.

"Oh guys! My creation is about to start! Watch!" I raised an eyebrow at Iggy and moved over to his lap so I had a better view of the rink. Ari spun around in the booth and got on his knees, his ears twitched and I prayed they didn't go dog.

And just like that, BOOM! I stared in wonder as a whole fireworks supply went off, smiling to myself at the way there was a rough-looking M and then an A and then and I and then an F and then a smiley face with fangs that made me send a pointed look to our Emo friend who was watching in fascination. Guess this is his first bomb display.

But bottom line that made this day so crazy, we got caught. Maybe it was because we were laughing while everyone panicked, maybe it was because Iggy had bottom so soda caps and a worker so him crushing them to dust and thought he was gonna snort it at first, maybe because we didn't run away screaming.

So now here we are, in a holding cell. "Igs, why did you make it in plain sight?" I asked out loud.

"Because the idiot at the counter didn't even look like he could count to five, much less pay attention, or give a second thought to a kid crumbling soda caps." (the candy kind if you're wondering) I sighed and looked to him.

"Got one that can bust us out?" I muttered.

"Sorry." Igs grumbled.

"I could get us out of here." Ari offered, we all looked at him.

"Ari, don't." I snapped. What if an officer walked in, or worse? Igs and Fang thought he was a monster and went after him.

"I can use my one phone call to get my dad to bust us out. He won't tell anyone's parents about this." Ari added helpfully.

"He'll hurt you-"

"He's a big boy Max, he can handle it." Fang interrupted. "I can't risk this on my record, and we both know why." He added in a whisper. I thought for a moment. They could take Lexi away from Fang if they thought he was a criminal, or pyro.

"Ari I-"  
"Who gets first phone call?" An officer walked up to us and Ari stepped forward as the rest of us stepped back. "Alrighty then." He muttered and led Ari away.

"So, why can't the all mighty jerk risk a minor fracture on his record?" Iggy asked Fang casually as he leaned against a wall. Fang chewed on his lip.

"None of your business hollow head! Stay out of my junk and get your own life!" He growled menacingly.

"Whoa, didn't mean to shove the straw up your juice box." Iggy rolled his eyes and came and stood next to me. "What's Darth Vader's problem?"

"Igs, it's none of your business. If he doesn't wanna tell you, he's not gonna tell you." I defended, silently promising I would tell him later. I watched Fang pace, running his hands through his hair and tugging on it, glancing at the clock. Lexi was going to be out of school soon. We needed to be out before then. She was so adorable and sweet, someone might kidnap her.

"Hey Fangles, calm down." I whispered, walking over to him and rubbing his back soothingly as he stopped pacing.

"Oh God, Max, she gets out in twenty minutes, what if I'm not there because of this, what if something happens, what if they take her away from me?" I could see the tears in his eyes and knew he would've cried if Iggy wasn't across the cell, minding his own business now and not paying attention to us. He probably couldn't even hear us.

"It's okay. Think positive Fang." I whispered, hugging him. Fang sucked in a breath, and stiffened for a moment before hugging me back. I hated to admit it, but now that he wasn't being a jerk, he was kinda cool. A loud snore made me jump and I realized Igs was slouched on the floor, asleep.

"Wow, that kid goes out like a light." Fang muttered, sitting down, and seeming rather shocked when I collapsed in his lap.

"What? You're the cushioniest thing around besides the sleeper." I pointed out.

"And I'm about to be the hardest." Fang mumbled under his breath. I hit him playfully and a few minutes later Ari came back, raising an eyebrow at me but otherwise saying nothing as he leaned against a wall.

"So what's up?" I asked him.

"Good news: My dad's coming to pick us up, bad news: I think he's drunk, he's angry, and oh yeah, he says he's gonna kill me for getting myself locked up."

**I love you all, REVIEWERS! Too bad you probably hate me (heehee) So, what do you all think will happen in the next chapter? Closest prediction will get virtual cookies! (Or cake, or whatever you choose) REVIEW for more!**

**Soar on**

**VR**


	12. Cheater

**I don't own MR**

**Max**

I kissed Ari sweetly when I saw him the next morning, one hundred percent relieved despite the fact that he was bruised and broken, but obviously still alive. His dad hadn't really looked drunk, but him and Ari had gotten into a yelling match on the way home while Fang, Igs, and I all shrunk deeper into our seats. It had ended when Ari's dad spun around and slapped him, before turning back to gain control of the wheel.

"Hey sweetheart, how are you feeling?" I asked, noticing how Ari had limped over to me and winced when I grabbed his hand.

"Fine." He said, before starting on a coughing fit. I felt his forehead and instantly yanked my hand back.

"Ari you are not fine! You're burning up, and you look horrible!" I exclaimed, just as Iggy walked up and whistled.

"Whoa man, I would've never let you call him if I would've known he was going to do this to you." Igs said, patting Ari's back, causing my poor boy to wince.

"It's okay, ain't that bad." Ari mumbled, leaning against the lockers and sliding onto the ground. "Just need sleep." I crouched down next to Ari and gently coaxing him back to his feet, letting him lean on me as he closed his eyes. "Love you." He whispered, before I felt most of his weight on me and leaned against the lockers. His breathing became steadily ragged as he slept, Igs frowning deeply.

"He can come stay with me. Poor kid looks like he's about to drop dead." Iggy acknowledged, pressing his hand against Ari's forehead for a moment before setting back on his side. "He's got a fever. He needs to rest."

"Yo, what's with the horse?" Fang asked, poking Ari's shoulder. He winced and snapped his eyes open.

"Nothing. I'm fine." He growled, seeming to lean against me for protection instead of the other way around.

"Ari, Igs is gonna take you to his place." I said cautiously, running my fingers through his hair soothingly. Ari shook his head.

"Test today. Gotta pass." He murmured.

"What period, Argonaut?" Fang asked.

"Fifth." Ari and I answered at the same time.

"Then we'll get you back here for Fifth. How about it?" Fang suggested. Ari shook his head and grabbed my hand.

"Gotta stay." He whispered.

"Ari, please, go with Iggy, for me?" I asked, kissing his cheek.

"Mkay." He mumbled, standing up straight and letting go of my hand. "See ya." He muttered, and Iggy led him along out of the school. It broke my heart to see how lost Ari seemed. He stumbled and limped, trying hard to stay awake. I bit my lip and Fang patted my shoulder.

"He'll be okay, doll. What do you say we go off to the girls' locker room and have some fun?" He asked, winking at me.

"Oh Ella!" I screamed in a singsong voice, and she seemed to pop up from out of nowhere.

"Nicky-poo!" She screeched, more make-up on than usual. She usually wore shorts and a shirt like all of us. But today she was in a really skimpy tight black mini skirt, and a red very low-cut shirt that showed her belly button ring. I blinked. When had she gotten _that_?

"Hey sexy thing!" She purred, trailing a finger down his chest. Fang glanced at me pleadingly as Ella stood on her tiptoes and immediately planted a kiss on his lips, trying to force her tongue through his teeth that stayed ground together. I snickered as Ella placed Fang's hands on her butt.

And then I realized something. Ella wasn't... Ella. She wouldn't dare let a guy even hold her hand before, and now she was encouraging Fang to grope her? I frowned at one of my best friends as she shoved Fang against the lockers, sliding a hand into his front pocket.

"Ella!" I yelled, yanking her away from Fang. "What the hell are you doing? He's still somewhat human! And this is still school!"

"Oh yeah right, Max! You just want him all for yourself! You could never handle it when one of your friends got an award and you didn't!" Ella snarled.

"Fang isn't some award! He's a freaking man who doesn't deserve some whore even if _he_ is one!"

"Hey, I resent that!" Fang snapped.

"Shut it!" Ella and I shouted at the same time before turning back to each other.

"Oh, and he deserves you?" Ella growled. I stood there, not missing a beat.

"As a matter of fact, he does! He needs someone who doesn't just like him for his looks, but for his personality. He needs someone who is going to be themselves no matter what. Ella you went from tomboy to prissy in twenty four hours because of a _guy. _What happened our promise huh?"

"Max that promise meant nothing! JJ still got my Iggy and now you're gonna take my Nick?" She all but screamed.

"You like Iggy?" I said, chuckling.

"Not anymore!" Ella shouted, shoving me. "Because of you and JJ! You two always stick together and take everything that goes good in someone else's life! It's like she's your only friend anymore!" Ella shoved me again and I shoved her back.

"JJ isn't my only friend! I love all of you guys! Ella you're being insane! Go put on some actual clothes! And go be yourself! You don't have to change for that idiot!" I snapped.

"I know you like him." Ella suddenly whispered. "I know you do. You pretend you don't but I see it. And the worst part you're only hurting Ari more every day you spend with-" I snapped. How dare she bring Ari into this! So I snapped and punched her perfectly white teeth, seething with rage. I went for another punch but Fang held me back.

"Cool it, Max, come on." Fang linked his index finger on the back belt loop of my skinny jeans and dragged me out to the courtyard where he shoved me against a wall.

"You got a damn good punch, Maxie." Fang whispered, leaning closer to me, putting his hands on my shoulders. "So, do you really like me?" He asked, leaning closer. "Cause I know I like you." I hated how hot I was getting right then and there.

"I have a boyfriend." I snapped.

"We got till third period." Fang said, I couldn't tell if he was joking or not, obviously it was the latter considering he kissed me. Ugh! Does this guy not understand blackmail? Then, I realized I wasn't moving and tried to knee him, yeah, that obviously wasn't working considering he was stepping on my feet.

"Fang!" I tried, and he took that as an opportunity to shove his tongue down my throat. I tried to push him away unsuccessfully and the kiss only got deeper. I sighed, and stopped fighting it. Squeezing my eyes shut and praying this was all a dream that I could wake up from.

That Ella was still a tomboy, that Fang had never existed, that Ari and I were still on our date last night, that my mom liked Ari, that mom still thought Iggy was gay. But nothing was right anymore.

During my period in thought, I didn't realize my fingers were curled into Fang's long black silky hair and that I was kissing him back.

This was way different than most kisses I shared with Ari. It seemed to be out of pure lust and hunger. I moan as he nibbled on my bottom lip, pulling him closer until he was against me. Fang sucked on the skin where my neck and shoulder met. I tugged on his hair a little harder and smirked at the moan that left his lips.

He pulled away from my neck and went back to my lips, this kiss much more gentle than the first. Less rushed, more loving. When Fang pulled away, he rested his forehead against mine, our fingers intertwined with one another's.

"Oh my God." I whispered, tears blurring my vision as I sunk to the soft grass. A concerned look that I'd never seen before cross Fang's face as he kneeled down beside me. "Oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh." I murmured over and over, feeling the tears slide down my cheeks as I held my face in my hands. "Please don't tell Ari. I- I don't know what he'd do- I don't know what I'd do. God, please don't tell him." I whimpered as Fang pulled me against him and cried softly into his shoulder.

"Shh, it's okay. This is our little secret. I promise." Fang kissed my forehead sweetly and I snuggled closer, glad that we were all alone. I cried harder, hating that I was doing this in front of Fang.

"Don't tell him." I kept mumbling over and over, hugging Fang's neck tighter and tighter. I heard him cough and started to pull away when he wrapped his arms around my waist, leaning against the wall.

"Shhh, sweetie, it's okay." I knew that voice cause it was the same way he talked to Lexi. I sucked in a shaky breath, wiping my tears away.

"I'm so sorry. I-"

"Shut up, Max! It's fine! It's out little secret. Just please, calm down, okay? I won't tell Ari, I know you love him. I won't tell him." Fang repeated. "I won't tell anyone. Not for nothing. This is our little secret, forever." He stroked my hair and kissed my forehead again, letting his lips linger there for what felt like and eternity until the bell rang signaling the start of first period was in five minutes.

"He's gonna hate me." I said, as we walked back towards the door. "He's gonna know something's wrong and then I'm going to have to tell him. I don't want him to hate me, Fang. I do love him, I just, I didn't know- oh I can't lie to myself. I liked the kiss, but I just... I can't do this to him." I stared down at my converse in shame.

"Then don't. If he knows something's wrong, I forced myself on you, okay? Like I always do." I was surprised at how sweet Fang was being to me. Helping me come up with a cover story and everything. I sighed and walked into school, the hallways almost completely clear.

This is when everything started to get complicated. After this nothing would ever be the same.

**3rd person**

Ari stared in shock as Max kissed Nick back. He chewed on his lip, feeling tears coming to his own eyes as she sunk down crying. He used his advanced hearing to hear everything they said to each other as the tears started to come. She... Max loved him. She felt horrible about kissing Fang. Ari smiled a bit, knowing he already forgave her, even as she walked towards school and said she liked it, but she loved him. He wiped the tears away from his face and walked over to Iggy's car, where he stood, fumbling with the key to unlock it.

"Max loves me." Ari mumbled under his breath to convince himself as he sat in the passenger seat.

"Thank you for that amazing fact captain obvious." Igs said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"She kissed Nick though." Ari mumbled, causing Iggy to slam on the brakes.

"She what? Wait- don't you mean he kissed her? He asked urgently. Ari shook my head.

"She was real into it." He mumbled dryly.

"Bro, you need to talk to her about it. I bet Max probably seriously hates herself right now." Iggy muttered. Ari nodded and called Max once he was laying down on a bed. Surprisingly, Max answered.

"Hey Sweetheart, how are you doing?" The guilt was evident in her voice and he could just see that sad smile on her face.

"Better. I wish you were here though." Ari said. "Hey Max, I think we need to talk, but it'd be better to do in person. So could you come around lunch, please?" He asked.

"Of course." Max said, panic coursing through her as Fang rubbed her shoulders soothingly in first period.

"Calm down." He purred, and Max nodded.

"Alright Ari, I'll be there, love you." She whispered.

Ari smiled to himself. "Okay, see ya then, love you, bye." And with that, he hung up, and laid there, staring at the ceiling. Hoping, wishing, praying, that Max would be his and stay his. Forever.

And little did Max know, there had been more than one person watching Max and Fang's little make out session. The other one, would ruin her life- or try her best to do so anyways.

So to wrap the day up, I cheated on a guy I loved with a guy I hated. My mind was trying to sort out some new boiling feelings that came out when Fang kissed me, and Ari wanted to 'talk' about something. Oh God, I was in deep crap, wasn't I?

**There you go! A new chapter! Hope you liked the FAX. And just to clear everything up this is a one hundred percent Fax story that starts out Mari, and is Mari for about half of the story. I'm sorry if you don't like it. But I promise now it's going to get a little more Faxish. And no worries, Fang is going back to his sarcastic, snarky self soon enough. BYSA**

**Soar on**

**VR**


	13. They Grow Up So Fast

**I don't own MR**

**Max**

"Hey R's." I whispered, walking into the spare room to find Ari sitting up, working on homework that was due Friday. He looked up and smiled at me, but I could see the hurt in his eyes. He knew. I shot him my best smile as I sat down on the bed, pushing the homework to the side. "How are you feeling?" I asked, putting my hand up to Ari's forehead. He still had a temperature. "Baby, why aren't you resting?" I mumbled as he glanced at his homework in shame.

"I...Max, why?" Ari said.

"Why what?" I asked innocently.

"Why did you kiss him?" Ari confirmed the suspicion that had been lurking around when he had said he wanted to 'talk'.

"I'm so sorry." I whispered, tears beginning to form in my eyes as I sat there on the bed.

"Why did you kiss him?" Ari asked again, sounding more angry now.

"I don't know... he just- I- I don't know." I mumbled, silent tears running down my cheeks.

"You do know, Max." Ari snapped, sounding furious, but he wiped my tears away and pulled me into his lap anyways. I hugged his neck.

"I'm so sorry. I don't know, Ari, I don't. He was just..." My voice trailed off as I full-out sobbed into Ari's shoulder. I hated crying so much. But I couldn't stand the thought of Ari hating me.

"I know." Ari kissed the top of my head and held me tighter. "It's alright. I forgive you." I shook my head against Ari.

"You shouldn't. Ari you have every right to yell at me, and to say you hate me, and to-" My voice cracked, and I couldn't finish that sentence.

"I could never yell at my princess, or hate her." Ari whispered into my ear, and I hugged him tighter.

"I'm so sorry. You can't imagine how sorry I am. I didn't mean for it to happen. I just... my mind shut down, I couldn't think straight." I admitted sheepishly.

"Shh, it's okay." Fang had told me that exact same thing. And it scared me cause he had said it with the same emotion Ari had. Disappointment and love. I chewed on my bottom lip, snuggling closer to him.

"I love you." I somehow got out through the sobs.

"Maxie, just relax. I love you too." I guess Ari could feel how tense I was, sense how stressed I was. "I think it's you who needs to rest." he chuckled and laid me down on the bed. I squirmed and whimpered as he let me go and Ari smirked before laying down next to me, pulling me against him, humming gently.

I could hear his heartbeat, and it was soothing to me, despite the extra beat every now and then. I sighed into Ari's chest and closed my eyes, drifting off to sleep.

_ I watched in horror as Ari attacked Fang. He was in eraser mode and clawing, snarling, biting, growling, and roaring. "Stop!" I screamed, trying to run to Ari, but I couldn't stop it. I couldn't move. Fang tried to push Ari off, but he couldn't. And I was forced to watch Ari deliver the final blow to Fang. A loud crack sprang through my ears and then Fang laid there, limp. His neck at an irregular angle. _

_ Ari's breathing was ragged as he stood up and went back to human mode, then turned to me. "You did this!" He snarled, glancing at Fang. "You killed him! It's your fault!" And then he lunged towards me._

I woke up screaming, Ari shaking me. "Max wake up!" He shouted and my eyes snapped opened as the scream died down.

"Don't hurt me." I whimpered, squeezing my eyes shut for a moment before looking back up at him.

"Why would I hurt you, Max?" Ari whispered, concern in his eyes as he tucked some loose strands of hair behind my ear.

"It- it was my fault. Y- you said I- I k- killed him." I stuttered. Ari gave me a confused look.

"Killed him? Killed who?" He asked, rubbing my back soothingly.

"F- Nick. But you, you were an eraser and y- you attacked him and you broke his neck, and then you lunged at me." I whispered, hugging Ari tight.

"Max, I wouldn't ever kill Nick. And I would never even think about hurting you." Ari kissed my temple and hugged me back.

"Ari, you're hot." I whispered, feeling the back of his neck.

"Ain't to bad yourself." I could feel Ari's smirk and looked up at him.

"Go to sleep, please." I mumbled, pushing him on his back.

"I don't know if I want to like this." Ari said, pulling me on top of him. I smiled and kissed Ari's cheek.

"Get better, then we'll talk." I patted his cheek and stood up, stretching before glancing at a clock and shrieking. "It's four o'clock! School's been over for an hour now!" I shouted. Ari nodded calmly.

"Yeah, the test was pretty easy." He let me know.

"You left me here to sleep the day away?" I snapped.

"You were tired. I wanted you to rest up. I got some work for you to make up too." Ari told me, nodding towards a small packet of papers. I scowled and hit Ari's shoulder.

"Curse your sweetness." I growled playfully. "Oh crap! I have a date with Igster tonight!" I remembered suddenly, watching the clock tick by. Ari raised an eyebrow.

"What? We go on dates of friendship. Besides, next Monday is our anniversary!" I exclaimed. "And we're gonna spend the night at my place hanging out locked away in my room. Usually all the girls are there... but not this time." I stared at the floor sadly.

"Anniversary?" Ari asked.

"Yeah. Our friendship anniversary! Don't worry, we'll have one too!" I said and kissed Ari quickly. "But not until next month!" I added running out of the room and running into Iggy.

"Iggy! Tonight at seven right? We better be going to a restaurant cause I'm starving!" I told him, poking his stomach playfully and kissing his cheek.

"Uh... yeah about that. Max, we can't have the before-our-anniversary-date tonight. Sorry." Iggy said sheepishly.

Went to pick "What? But we've been planning this ever since school started! Or you have anyways." I added, remembering it was a surprise.

"I know but I kinda need a rain check." Igs rubbed the back of his neck, staring down at his converse.

"What do you mean? Iggy, who are you going out with?" I snarled.

"JJ." He mumbled quietly. A smile shot up onto my face.

"OOOOOH! Boy you got yourself a girl? I'm getting you ready! Come on Blondie! We gots a lot of work to do!" I exclaimed, pushing him into his room and slamming the door.

"Max,it's not for two hours." Iggy muttered.

"I don't care! You're going up against Fang! I'm fixing you into the perfect JJ toy." I told him.

"JJ toy?" Igster asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hell yeah, you're her toy, not the other way around." I said, pushing him into the bathroom. "Get in that shower and please, for the sake of the world, use _soap, shampoo, AND conditioner._" I commanded. Iggy nodded and pushed me out, shutting the door.

While he did that I went to pick out his outfit.

Five minutes he came out of the shower. "Get your butt back in there and clean yourself!" I snapped, still trying to decide what jeans of his JJ would like better. Decisions, decisions...

"I am clean!" Iggy shouted and I walked over to him.

"Oh yeah?" I asked, grabbing his hair and forcing him to bend down as I sniffed his hair. "God Igs." I muttered, crinkling my nose and pushing him back into the bathroom, then shower.

"I still have my towel on!" he exclaimed.

"And you're gonna keep it on." I muttered turning the water on and snatching up the shampoo. He reluctantly tightened his towel and held it in place as I squirted half the bottle into his hair, scrubbing it to the point where Iggy whimpered.

"Max! Your nails hurt!" Iggy whined.

"Igs, if you actually washed your hair good, it wouldn't hurt." I snapped, grabbing his soapy hair and pulling him under the water, rinsing it off. After that was done I put a little conditioner in Iggy's hair to make it easier to brush and let it sit.

"Okay, now wash yourself." I commanded, closing the shower curtain. "Let me know when you got the towel back on." I added. Looking through Iggy's hair products in the bathroom. He had gel, spray-on conditioner, (Go figure) a flat iron, a hair dryer and some cheap goo.

"Okay!" Iggy called as I figured out what to do with his hair. I opened the curtain and scowled. "You rinsed the conditioner out?"

"Only just now!" he defended. I sighed and rolled my eyes, pulling him out of the shower and walking into his room. "Dry your hair!" I called, walking into his closet. "Where are you taking JJ?"

"Uh... Olive garden. She says she wants to marry their bread sticks right?" I looked down at my converse, smirking. She actually said she wanted to marry the hot waiter who brought the bread sticks.

"Yup!" I leaned, picking out an outfit. Laid back yet dressy. It said he didn't care, but he did, he was trying to impress J, but not in an obvious way. I picked out some Black converse for him and tossed the outfit on his bed just as the dryer went off.

Iggy walked out of the bathroom, a dry towel around his waist. "So, what has Miss Max picked out for me to wear to OG?" He asked, coming to look at the outfit. "Hmmm, dressy yet casual, I don't care, but I do. It's perfect!" Iggy decided, his hair a partially curly hot mess. Who was I kidding? Iggy was a hot mess in general.

"Okay, get dressed." I ordered, walking back into Iggy's closet to pick out accessories. When I came out he was dressed in the black ripped skinny jeans, plain white tee shirt, leather black vest with chains, and I tossed him the studded X belt.

"I look like a rockstar." Iggy decided, putting the belt on and then the studded bracelets.

"And that's exactly what JJ wants." I told him, grabbing a can of black hair spray from the counter. It was from last Halloween when Iggy went as a ninja. Hey! Don't judge, you're never to young to get free candy.

I pushed him into the bathroom and straightened his curly hair, then gelled it up all spiky before making the tips of his hair black. "How do I look?" Igs asked.

"Delicious. I'm gonna get something like this for Ari." I said, making Iggy face me to give him one last look and doing quick fixes, popping his collar and switching his gold earring out for a diamond one.

"You would look so bacon with a nose ring." I told him, as we headed downstairs.

"Yeah? Maybe I'll get one." Igs commented, glancing at himself in the mirror as we walked down the stairs.

"Okay, you still have thirty minutes to kill... so, what do you wanna- OH!" I practically screamed running back upstairs.

"Max what are you doing?" Iggy called and then I came back down with Axe spray. "Not one girl at school likes that." Iggy muttered dryly.

"Are you serious? JJ can't get enough of this stuff! She'll eat you up if you wear this." I told him, spraying it all over him. Iggy coughed a bit as I tossed the can on the couch and sniffed. "Yup. You smell so bacon!" I told him reassuringly, patting his back. We talked for twenty minutes about what JJ likes and doesn't like until Iggy said he needed to go pick her up. I nodded and my best friend left.

"They grow up so fast." I whispered, watching him get into his car and drive off.

**Okay, so I might update again today, or tomorrow, but only if I get 130 REVIEWS. Can you do it? YES YOU CAN! If you read Fugitives, you know Arch so yeah... and if you don't... GO READ FUGITIVES! Thank you Arch for enlightening my- I mean our- Fans. BYSA**

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**VR**


	14. Dates and Lies

**WARNING: MPHK JUST SUCK IT UP**

**I don't own MR**

**Iggy (Shocker, I know!)**

This was the first time ever, in my life, that I was nervous about meeting a girl. Usually we just went on a date, slept together, and then it was over after a week. But this was JJ. I actually liked JJ. She wasn't a one night stand. At least, I hoped not.

I knocked on her door and waited patiently for JJ to answer. Instead, a man of about forty-something answered. He gave me one look and literally growled.

"Who are you?" He snarled.

"James Griffins." I said, hoping that came off as respectful.

"And why are you here?" He asked. I opened my mouth to answer when JJ came into view.

"Daddy, this is Iggy. He's taking me out tonight." She said, looking at me and smiling wickedly before turning back to her dad. "You said I could go." She added.

"I didn't realize Iggy was a punk." Her dad growled, stepping back, about to slam the door when JJ stopped him.

"Daddy, Iggy is a very responsible man. Not a punk. He probably only wore all of that cause Max dressed him up, right?" JJ turned to me and I nodded vigorously.

JJ's dad mumbled something under his breath before giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Have fun, Jenny." He muttered, before letting her leave.

"So, where are we going Igs, hope this isn't too fancy." JJ smiled at me and spun around in her knee length dark red dress. I smirked, trying to keep my Iggy on.

"Of course not." I said, wrapping and arm around JJ's waist as I led her to the car and opened her door for her.

"Hmmm, maybe you really are a responsible man." She winked at me and got in. I gulped audibly after shutting her door and walked over to my side, getting in.

"So, where are we going?" JJ asked once we were out of her neighborhood.

"Only the place with the best bread sticks in the world." I told her, watching the road.

"Oh my God! We're going to Caesar's?" JJ squealed excitedly. My heart rose to my throat and I had to look out my window so she couldn't see my freaked-out expression. What the hell was Caesar's? "Just kidding! Olive Garden tops everything." J's giggled, kissing my cheek. I really hoped I wasn't blushing as much as I thought I was.

"Iggy, blushing? That's new." JJ noticed, before cranking the stereo on some hard-core rock music. I just watched the road. "Oh come on Igster, talk to me. I've been one of your best friends for a long time, you don't need to be awkward about this." JJ tried helpfully, gently prying one of my hands off the wheel and intertwining our fingers.

I smiled at her and brought her hand to my lips, smirking when JJ blushed.

…

"I know right!" JJ was laughing so hard I could barely understand her, but as long as I was funny, who cared?

"Hey, check it." I took my straw and ripped a piece off of the napkin, loading it into the straw and blowing. I smirked when I hit the back of the waiter's head.

"Good, but try freestyle." JJ did the same as me, only shot it at an arch and had it roll down the waiter's shirt. I laughed and we high fived.

"Wicked." I shot JJ a goofy grin, in which she laughed at.

"Excuse me, but how old are you?" The waiter we had shot at snapped.

"How old are you?" I snarled back.

"That's none of your business!" The waiter growled.

"You just answered your own question, gold star for you!" I said sarcastically. The waiter flushed and stormed off.

"Let's get out of here. Some people, man." I rolled my eyes and JJ just giggled as we stood up. We had finished and paid ten minutes ago, but we were too busy talking to care.

"So, what do you wanna do now?" I asked as we got into my car.

"Oh I don't know, how do your usual dates end?" JJ asked curiously. _In my bed. _I thought instantly.

"Here actually. After dinner we say goodnight, you know?" I shrugged nonchalantly, and turned the car on.

…

Once we were back in our neighborhood, I could see JJ shooting me anxious glances and became confused. What did she want? Why was she so... jittery?

"What's up, Jenna?" I asked, looking over at her for a moment.

"Uh... it's just that, I know this isn't usually how your dates end." JJ mumbled meekly, staring down at her black heels.

"Oh." Was all I could say.

"Is there something wrong with me?" JJ asked.

"What? No! Of course not. You're perfect, JJ." I said quickly. "I just..." My voice trailed off as I stopped the car in front of her house.

"You just what?" She asked looking up at me finally.

"I really like you okay? You're... different than everybody else. I wanna take it slow with you, get to know JJ." I said quickly, tucking her hair behind her ear.

JJ smiled at me and leaned in and kissed me. My whole world froze and disappeared, and all there was was her. I pulled away first surprisingly, glaring at the glove box that was in the way.

"It's kinda awkward to kiss you in a car." I mumbled.

"Nope, just the front seat." J's said suggestively. I smirked, but got out of the car and went over to her side, opening the door for her.

"Not tonight. But my car is ready for a second date anytime." I said, helping her out. JJ smiled and kissed me again, this time wrapping her arms around my neck. I could've suffocated right then and there and wouldn't have cared. This had been the best date of my life, with the best girl in my life. (Don't tell Max) and my happy ending seemed to be tying together nicely.

"Ahem." A deep voice cleared its throat. I pulled away, holding JJ tighter until I realized it was her dad. Uh-oh.

"Hello, sir." I said, taking a step away from JJ.

"And what do you think you're doing?" JJ's dad asked.

"Kissing JJ goodnight?" I tried sheepishly.

"Leaving now and not taking my daughter on another date?" Her dad snarled angrily.

"Uh nope, pretty sure I was the right one." I said, and was rewarded with a punch to the jaw. I spun around and landed on my knees.

"Shut up smart ass!" JJ's dad growled, just as JJ pushed her dad back.

"Daddy! What the hell?" She snapped, helping me to my feet and wiping the blood away from the corner of my mouth. "I'm so sorry about that, Iggy." She whispered.

"Jennifer, get in that house. Now!" Her dad growled.

"But-"

"Now." JJ sent me an apologetic look before walking into her house. And then her dad turned towards me. "And you," He snapped, popping his knuckles. Oh no.

**Max**

When I got to school the next day, and saw Iggy wearing sunglasses, I thought nothing of it. Until I got close enough to see the bruise on his jaw. "Ouchie. You met papa J, didn't you?" I asked, lifting his sunglasses up to see the black eye.

"Yup. He was home. Thanks for the warning Max." Iggy added dryly.

"I'm sorry! I thought he was out of town!" I exclaimed, hugging Iggy and kissing his cheek. "But you don't look too broken." I added.

"Iggy! I'm so sorry about last night!" JJ ran up suddenly, and pushed me out of the way, planting a kiss on his lips. I shot Iggy a look and the smirk was clear on his face as JJ pulled away and glanced at me.

"He looked so hot last night, Max. and get this, his hair didn't smell like bomb smoke. You're dressing him up for our date next weekend!" JJ told me, wrapping an arm around Iggy's waist. I smiled.

"So, you're not in the 7 week plan anymore?" I asked.

"Oh no, I still wanna try Fangles out." JJ said shrugging.

"What?" Iggy snapped, looking at her.

"Kidding! Take a joke, Igster." JJ kissed his cheek and started to walk off. "Anyways! Gotta go turn in my project, see you later, babe!" She called. I smirked at Iggy.

"Babe? You two hit it off, huh?" I asked, punching his arm lightly. Iggy nodded.

"Yup. We stayed up till like two in the morning talking on the phone."

"Awe! You guys are gonna be together forever!" I decided, just as Fang walked up.

"JJ's looking sexy today, I can't wait to get to her." He said, glancing around before lowering his voice. "Ella's gone crazy. I think she tried to follow me home yesterday."

I snickered. "JJ's out, she's got herself a smexy guy." I said, bumping Iggy lightly. "But don't worry, you still haven't tried Maya yet, or Nudge." I added as an afterthought.

"They better not go creepy on me." He muttered.

"They won't." I assured. As we walked off towards first, I realized quite a few people were whispering and looking at me. "What's that about?" I asked, just as Ari turned a corner and stormed over to Fang, glaring at him.

"What did you do to Max?" He practically shouted, grabbing Fang by his shirt and shoving him against the lockers.

"What are you talking about?" Fang asked, bewildered. "Get off of me, you freak!"

"What did you do to her?" Ari repeated, shoving Fang harder against the lockers.

"Ari stop!" I snapped, trying to pry him away.

"You said you were sorry." He growled turning towards me. "I thought it was just a kiss. What really happened Max?" He growled, letting Fang go and stepping closer.

"Ari, cool your jalapenos dude!" Iggy said, shoving Ari back. Ari's eyes flashed and he pushed Iggy to the ground, advancing on me.

"What. Happened. Yesterday?" He said in an all too-calm voice. I whimpered, now pressed against the lockers with Ari's cold stare directed at me.

"You know what happened. Ari, I told you I'm sorry. I thought you forgave me!" I exclaimed.

"Don't play dumb! How long have you been cheating on me, Max?" Ari shouted, his hands slamming down on each side of me so there was no escape. I'd never seen him so furious at me. I gulped, my whole body shaking with fear. Tears in my eyes.

"What? What are you talking about?" I whispered, looking him in the eye. I hated the raw fury directed towards me, the hurt that shone through.

"I'm talking about you and Fang. How long have you two been sneaking around behind my back, huh?" Ari growled.

I didn't know what to say. I shrunk to the floor with Ari towering over me like a raging demon. The anger radiated off of him and it scared me the way his eyes shifted, as if he was trying to stay human. I glanced around, noticing most people had gone to class, but all noticing Ella, smirking triumphantly before turning a corner and walking away.

**Another chapter! Sorry I didn't get it up yesterday guys, I was just really tired after this road trip we took and crashed after I posted the next chapter of Fugitives. Or did Arch do that? I don't even remember. But anyways, let's try... 150 reviews.**

**Soar on**

**VR**


	15. SMACK!

**I don't own MR**

**Max**

The utterly terrifying rage the flowed off of Ari in waves almost brought me to tears. He towered over me like a tilting skyscraper, ready to fall and crush whoever lay in its path. "Ari, stop! Leave her alone." Iggy snapped, shoving Ari to the side and kneeling down next to me. "You okay, Maxie?" He asked quietly, grabbing my hand as I refused to look at him.

"Fine." I grumbled as he helped me to my feet. And then Iggy was against the lockers, and then on the floor. I yelped and jumped back.

"Don't tell me what to do." Ari snarled, and then turned back to me. "I asked you a question, why don't you answer it huh?"

"Ari, you're scaring me." I whispered, tears blurring my vision. Instantly, his features softened and he went from raging skyscraper, to desperate puppy.

"Max, please don't be scared." He whispered, stepping closer to me and taking my hand. "Just- I just want a honest answer." Ari looked me in the eye, waiting patiently for me to speak.

"I don't like Fang. At all. Ari, I love you." I squeezed my eyes shut, trying not to cry. Is this how it was going to be every time he got mad at me? Was he always going to be so scary? "You scared me." I whispered again, stepping away from him. Hurt filled Ari's eyes.

"I- I'm sorry. I just... I don't want anyone else to have you." Ari mumbled shyly, looking at his shoes. I was shocked when he pulled me into a hug, but didn't make any attempts to pull away.

"Please don't act like that anymore. I thought you were gonna hurt me." I whispered into his ear, and all I got in response was a nod. "And I promise I'd never cheat on you. I don't roll like that. Yesterday was a... mistake." I decided, and glanced at Fang, only to see him turn to walk away, but something flashed in his eyes as he did, and I couldn't figure out what it was.

…

At lunch, everything was back to normal. Ari and I held hands under the table, Fang sat on my other side as to be as far away from Ella as possible. And when Iggy got here, he huffed and sat in Fang's lap, causing the whole table to burst out laughing. JJ, being who she is, wolf-whistled. I, being who I was, clapped. "First lap dance, huh?" I asked Fang, winking at him as he sat there, an appalled expression on his face. It was to. Die. For. Iggy starting shaking his hips jokingly.

"Like that, Fangles?" He asked, grinding a bit. We all burst out laughing some more at Fang's expression to Iggy grinding into him. It was another expression to. Die. For.

"Somebody get this gay person who doesn't know how to grind off of me!" Fang exclaimed suddenly, getting weird looks from other tables.

"Fangy-cakes, of course I know how to grind. Just ask Susie, or Jill, or Dana, or-"

"We get it Igs, you grind a lot." JJ said smirking.

"You don't know how to grind, Iggy. Like you literally are doing it all wrong." Fang said, seeming to have forgotten that Igster was sitting on him.

"Oh yeah, like you could do any better?" Iggy challenged.

"Well, I've hit a home rum way more than you have." Fang said.

"Oh yeah?" Igs asked.

"Yeah, at my old school I was so good, I had Mrs. Clark screaming on her teacher's desk." Fang said with a smirk.

"Don't you mean 'Miss' Clark?" Nudge asked, sounding appalled.

"Nope. She was married. She even said I was so much better than her husband that I could stop be on the weekdays. Damn, she was one hot teacher." Fang mumbled, resting his chin on Iggy's shoulder.

"How old was she?" Lissa asked out of nowhere.

"Twenty-seven." Fang said dreamily, licking his lips. "I could've eaten her-"

"Fang, shut up! Innocent people are at this table." I sneered, glancing at Angel and Nudge.

"Why would you eat her, Fang?" Angel asked. I facepalmed. I mean, they were innocent, and their minds were one hundred percent pure.

"Oh I don't know, girls are just delicious like that." Fang added a devious smirk, and turned to me, leaning close to my ear. "I could eat you all day." He whispered, and I smacked him upside the head, or tried to, he caught my wrist. Ari gave me a questioning look and I jut shook my head.

"I'd rather eat an eraser, then have your pig mouth anywhere_ near_ me." I snapped. Ari flinched and I patted his head reassuringly. "The kind on the pencil darling." I said, and he nodded.

"What other kind is there?" Fang snorted and crossed his arms.

"Why don't you harass Max and find out?" Ari growled, I knew he was joking, but Fang shrugged and reached out to touch me, and so I grabbed his pinky and started bending it back.

"How much is chocolate ice cream, Fangles?" I asked, and something like panic clouded his vision for a moment, but was gone just as quickly as it had come. I let go of his hand and went back to my chips. Fang didn't even look at me for the rest of lunch.

…

At free period, I was sitting under a tree, just minding my own business, all alone, when someone yanked me up and behind it. "What do you want, Emo boy?" I asked casually, raising an eyebrow. I was shoved up against the tree with his arms blocking my escape. My mind flashed to the girls' locker room for a moment before I focused back on Fang.

"You need to quiet down about this ice cream crap, people are asking stuff." Fang snapped.

"I'm sick of you harassing me." I snarled. "If it takes blackmail to get you to lay off, then so be it. But you know what, plenty of people at school have crappy jobs. Your ego is so big you can't even admit the truth to yourself-"

"And what truth would that be?" Fang growled, pushing me harder against the tree, angrily.

"You're not a player, you're a poser. You set the worst example for Lexi and you care too much about what other people think. What would you do if she grew up to be a slut huh, what-" _Smack! _I was utterly stunned. Did Fang just backhand me?

"I don't care who you are, you don't talk about Alexis like that." He exclaimed, pushing me harder into the tree. My hand rested on my cheek. It stung, but there was no blood. I don't know why, but for some reason, I wasn't scared of Fang like I had been of Ari.

He took one look at the red mark on my face and instantly backed off. "I- I'm sorry- I- I didn't mean- God Max, I'm so sorry- I didn't know what- I'm sorry." Fang whispered, before taking off. I watched him sprint to the parking lot and slam the door of his car. Though he stayed there, in his black Mustang.

I cautiously walked up to it, opening the passenger door and sliding in, shutting it behind me. Fang sit there, elbows on knees, head against steering wheel. He sighed deeply, his shoulders shuddering as he did. "I'm so sorry, I don't know what got into me." Fang whispered, and I ran my fingers through his hair gently. It always calmed Iggy down when he was upset, so I figured it'd work on Fang too.

"Fang, you shouldn't have hit me. But I understand why you're upset. I shouldn't have said about your sister." I mumbled, smiling at the way he seemed to relax every time my fingers brushed through his hair. Maybe it was a guy thing, or maybe it just felt nice.

"I'm so sorry." He said again, looking up at me. His hand cupped my stinging cheek. "I... I hurt you." He mumbled, his thumb stroking my cheek over and over, subconsciously.

"Fang, it's okay." I whispered, setting my hand on top of his. He shook his head.

"No, it's not. I'm a jerk, and a poser. You're right." He said, looking me dead in the eye.

"Actually, you're special. If anyone else would've hit me, they'd be in the hospital right now." I told Fang, smiling, trying to lighten the dark mood. Fang smirked.

"How special?" He asked.

"Not that special." I said, punching him in the chest. He gasped and sucked in a breath, nodding slightly.

"Deserved... that." He got out through desperate breaths. I smirked as he calmed down.

"I wish I could take it back." He said after a moment of silence, staring at my cheek. It didn't sting so much anymore, especially not when Fang leaned in and kissed me.

It was quick peck, nothing more than an apology. No other emotion. But I still stared at him, stunned. I mean, sure, Iggy and I had the occasional peck, but it was like the brother/sister kind you know?

And no matter how meaningless this one seemed, my heart was still racing a mile a minute. All because of one stolen kiss.

**Love me? Hate me- You guys can't hate me actually. Cause there was Mari for all the Mari lovers, and Fax for all the Fax lovers. Perfect balance, right? It will start rising more towards Fax eventually though, I promise. Okay, I'm shooting for 170 REVIEWS.**

**Soar on**

**VR**


	16. Metaphorical Rocks

**I don't own MR**

**Max**

I couldn't explain what happened the next day at all. I mean, ever had one of those days where the quiet one is suddenly the talkaholic? Yeah... creepy, I know.

"So, Igford, do you think Fang can last four more days?" I asked as I rode on Ari to school. Yeah, Iggy had hurt his back so I was now on my boyfriend's instead.

"No. Hell, I barely lasted a day when she had a thing for me." Iggy mumbled. I hated how miserable he was, but I couldn't just magically make the pain in his back go away, and chances are he's gonna get detention for sleeping in class because of the pain pills.

"Why is she so desperate. Ella is a really pretty girl. She can snag up a few guys with her looks. But now she's gone all slutty on us so I don't know." Ari muttered. The thing about our school, nobody dates, sleeps with, or even talks to the sluts. Even the guys are like 'whoa I got a girlfriend' or 'whoa I'm not gonna be a one night stand' so yeah.

"Oh I don't know. Fang's a hot boy. I mean, have you seen his six pack?" I asked jokingly.

"Nope. And I hope you haven't either." Ari grumbled. "But anyways, who hit you, Max?" Ari asked out of nowhere. I blinked and looked at the back of his head in surprise.

"What do you mean?" I wondered, tugging his hair in a demanding way.

"Whoa! Watch the hair! It took Igster twenty minutes to do that!" Ari mumbled. "Oh, and I tasted the concealer when I kissed your cheek. Just figured your hiding a bruise or something since that's what I do."

"Dude! You wear make-up?" Iggy exclaimed loudly.

"If I didn't I'd look like hell. It's just something to cover up all the bruises. Not like I put Mascara or, or eye shadow or-"

"Shut up before you dig your hole another foot deeper." I interrupted. Ari nodded and stayed quiet, letting me down once we got to my locker.

"But seriously, you don't wear make up, Max." He muttered as I switched my books out, and before I knew what he was doing, he had licked his thumb and half the make up on my cheek was gone.

Ari sucked in a breath and wiped the rest of the make up away while I just sighed and waited for him to start asking. In 3... 2... 1...

"Who the hell did this to you?" He asked, gently brushing his thumb over the bruise o my cheekbone. I winced and Ari immediately pulled back.

"It's no big deal. I just... fell." I finished lamely.

"Fell? Onto what? A rock?" Ari exclaimed, studying the bruise. "You need to ice it." He finally said as Fang walked up towards us. A guilty expression immediately crossed his face and then he glanced at Ari as if asking if I had told him.

I shook my head slightly. "Yeah. It was a rock. A really stupid rock." I snapped as Fang approached us.

"Did you forgive the rock?" Fang asked casually, leaning against the lockers.

"Nope! I threw the rock."

"Hidden meaning alert. Did you hit her?" Ari snapped, turning on Fang. "Cause if you did I'll break your-"

"He didn't hit me Ari. We're talking about Iggy." I lied smoothly. "last night he came over, we were playing one of our favorite video games and I let Igster win. He got overexcited and went like 'BOOYA!'" I yelled, punching my fists out so I formed a Y for a second. "And he clipped me. Total accident. I got him good in the gut though. I told Fang about it last night and now Iggy is the metaphorical rock." I explained, patting Ari's head. "But thank you for being concerned. And a kiss might make it better?" I suggested. Ari smirked and pulled me close, kissing me quickly before pulling back.

"Gotta go to homeroom. See you in first period, Max!" And with that, Ari walked off, and I turned to Fang.

"The rock is not forgiven yet." I told him sternly.

"Can the rock add on to his debt?" Fang asked, a little bit of desperation in his voice.

"Depends, does the rock want to hit me again?" I asked, chuckling. Fang shook his head, not smirking. I immediately sobered up.

"Look, I got involved with some bad people, and I owe them money. I need to go see if they'll give me until my next paycheck. And I need somebody to watch Lexi." Fang whispered.

"Who you asking for a couple extra days, huh?" I asked, knowing quite a few of the really bad ones.

"Holden. Dude in that gang-"

"Holden? Fang you're in some deep sh-"

"I know! You think he'll give me an extra couple days?" He asked hopefully.

"Nope. How much do you need?"

"I'm still short a couple hundred." Fang admitted, holding his hands out in defeat. I sighed.

"You're screwed." I mumbled.

"Maybe not, maybe I can-"

"Fang, do you really wanna die today?" I asked, and then he did the stupidest thing imaginable. In this exact order:

First, he just stood there. Then he tucked a few loose strands of hair behind my ear and leaned down just enough to kiss my hurt cheek. "I'm so sorry." He whispered almost subconsciously, like he was zoned out, didn't know this was his world. And then that familiar smirk played against his lips.

"Say if I was going to die today, what would you do to make today special?" Fang asked, and I was suddenly against the lockers, pressed up against him.

"Break your skinny white-boy ass." I snarled.

"I'm Mexican." Fang corrected. "And considering you keep glancing at my lips, I'd say I'm a very kissable Mexican." The stupid boy added. And so I ducked and moved under his arm, then took off down the hall.

"You have to catch me for that kiss!" I screamed, and then was around a corner. Fang pursued me like I was his prey. Well, I'm pretty delicious if I do say so myself... not that I actually have ever tasted myself. It's just... oh forget it!

I rounded another corner and up the stairs, four at a time, running madly through the halls and trying to lose him. I glanced behind me and Fang had disappeared. I sighed in relief as I slowed to a stop. And then heard a ding and saw the elevator doors open, revealing none other than Fang.

"Elevators are so overrated!" I shrieked turning around and taking off again, or trying to anyways. I didn't get very far when two strong arms wrapped around my waist and picked me up. "Put me down!" I snapped, thrashing around.

"Are you gonna give me a kiss?" Fang asked innocently.

"Only if you put me down." I said smartly. And so he did, and spun me around, and hooked his fingers in the belt loops on my jeans.

"Hey-"

"You never said anything about letting you go." Fang pointed out smugly.

"Ugh! Fine!" I grabbed his head and turned it to the side, and kissed his cheek before prying his hands away and walking away, all in a matter of ten seconds. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Fang shake his head and walk away, leaving me to go to my first period... alone. Grrr him!

…

After school, I began to follow Fang towards his car when Ari stopped me. "Is out date still on?" He asked, glancing from Fang's car, to me.

"Oh! I'm really sorry Ari, I just, I have to do something. Raincheck though?" I asked, kissing his cheek and then jogging to catch up to Fang. Ari looked annoyed and I began to wonder if he was the clingy type. I don't do clingy. At all. Not for nothing. If the sky was falling, clingy wouldn't be an option, if-

You get the point, if you're clingy, you're not my friend, boyfriend, or whatever...

Once we were at Fang's place, I realized just how poor he really was. "Please don't tell anybody." He whispered before getting to the car and leading me down a set of stairs. "It's not anything near your place, but it's home for now."

I nodded, staring at the paint-chipped door and rusty hinges. This is where Fang lived? In a disgusting apartment building? One that wasn't even remotely nice? Pity overwhelmed me. He was strong, I'll give him that. He held it together just fine at school, despite knowing he'd have to come home to this.

Fang unlocked the door and it creaked as he opened it for me. "Fang!" I heard a voice scream, and then Lexi was running down the hall. She paused and cocked her head to the side, looking at me quizzically. I glanced around at the chipped paint of the walls, the small holes, the stains. The carpet had once been white I guessed, but was now an ugly beige color.

"Hey sweetie, I'm Max, from the ice cream shop?" I tried. Lexi nodded slowly.

"Fang never brings anybody over though. Why is she here, Fang?" Lexi turned to her brother as he shut the door. Fang shrugged and walked into the kitchen. Cracked tile, some cabinet doors were broken off, and the hinges were all rusty, oh and the sink was obviously leaking, as it dripped devery second.

"I need somebody to watch you. I'm going to go see a friend tonight. And it's really important. You're gonna be good for Max, right?" Fang asked, opening the fridge and frowning at the emptiness. I stared at it wondering how these two could've lived here so long.

"Yes! As long as she doesn't mind rats of course!" Lexi said happily. Fang went bright red for a moment before pulling an apple out of the fridge and closing it.

"She's joking." He said quickly, walking over to the couch and sitting down.

"No I'm not. Remember those rats you killed-"

"Lexi, how much TV have you watched?" Fang asked, and I glanced at the TV that was on some kiddy show.

"Uh..." Lexi looked down and rocked on her heels. "A couple hours?" She said meekly. Fang hit the apple against his forehead and stayed like that a moment before sighing and turning the TV off.

"What's wrong with that?"

"There's something called an electric bill." Fang snapped, standing up and taking a bite out of his apple. "But you actually have parents so you wouldn't know." He added quietly, before disappearing into his room and coming back out a few moments later in a different shirt, the apple finished.

"Anyways, I'm gonna get going, Lexi's bed time is eight thirty. If she's not laying down, get her laying down. She likes it when you tell her a bedtime story. She'll pick it out. Make sure if she has homework that she gets it done. And that's about it. Bye Lexi, be good." Fang said, turning to his little sister and picking her up, giving her a quick hug.

"I love you Fangy!" Lexi said loudly, and I snickered.

"Love you too Alexis, now do what you're told." And with that, Fang ruffled up her hair and then left, leaving us here alone. Did I mention I've never babysat before? This should be fun...

**So sorry I didn't update sooner. But it's a 3 day weekend now so I promise to get everything updated! It's just, Middle school is really busy the first week... hopefully it cools down so I can update more often. So I want!... 190 REVIEWS! You can do it! I believe in you! Also, If you haven't! please GO READ FUGITIVES and Review? Love you if you do!**

**Soar on**

**VR**


	17. Alleys

**Fang**

Congratulations, you guys have finally caught up with original time, or almost anyways. _I stood there crying, hugging Fang, wishing the pain would go away, but it wouldn't, it never would, and worse, I was hugging a murderer. _Don't worry, you'll catch up to that within this chapter.

Pain screamed through my body as fists flew towards my face and shoes connected with my gut. If you haven't guessed already, me asking Holden for a few extra days didn't go over so well. I had texted Max one simple word _HELP _and hope she would come and save me, but as the minutes grew longer, and time swept on, doubt crept into me.

I was going to die. Holden and his buddies were going to kill me, and I had nobody in mind as a god parent for Lexi. All I could do was hope Max would take her in.

…

After an hour I knew they were just torturing me, getting me ready for what was going to happen. I knew it wouldn't be quick either. Blood dripped into my vision as I was pulled to my feet, putting all my weight on my left one as my right one felt broken. "Hey pretty boy, got the cash now?" Holden asked, holding up a silver blade that would've sent Chuck Norris running for the hills. I gulped and tried to pull away, but was too weak. I had lost too much blood. I was a goner even if he didn't knife me.

Which he did. The blade was icy cold and slipped into my skin like a knife would go through butter. It lodged into my chest and stayed there while Holden laughed, twisting the blade while I screamed in agony.

"Stop." I begged, tears in my eyes as he yanked the blade out and shoved me against the wall.

"Are you gonna give me my cash?" Holden asked while I lay there, coughing up blood.

"I only have four hundred." I mumbled, my arms shaking as I pushed myself up. I didn't know how much more I could handle before it became too much.

"Get his wallet." Holden snapped and a guy took my wallet out of my back pocket and looked through it.

"He's got four hundred." The guy said while I leaned against the wall. Holden pocketed the money before disappearing for a moment, and then came back with a can of gasoline. What the...? And then I realized what was going to happen.

"God, please don't!" I begged as he poured the gas all over me, laughing like a maniac and making a trail with it, then pulling a lighter out of his pocket. "No, no, no! Stop! Come on! Please! I won't tell anybody, just please let me go!" I begged, not even realizing no one was holding me down. I could run if I wanted, but I was too weak.

"Oh, I know you won't tell anyone, you'll be a little to burnt to talk." He said, flicking the lighter. I watched in horror as the flame danced. Golden sparks flying around. No. Not me. Please not me.

For the first time ever in my Atheist life, I stared at the ground, and I just prayed. _God please, if you're up there, if you're real, if you're truly as amazing as the bible makes you out to be. Please don't let this be my ending. Please let me live. I know I've doubted you my whole life, but right now, I really just have to believe. I love Lexi too much to abandon her, but the strength to get up just isn't with me. Oh please let me get through this. Let me go home, let me never deal with them again. Lord, please protect me and forgive me for my sins. I'll never doubt you again. I'll go to church, I'll change my religion entirely, just please... get me through this alive and safe._

I was pretty much begging at this point. The flame mockingly hopped around, laughing at me as it was lowered towards the trail of gas. I whimpered as tears streamed down my face, knowing this was it, my last moments on earth, my last breaths to speak- to say what I needed. "I love you, Max." I whispered. "Iggy, I'll never forget your craziness. Ari, I can't blame you for protecting Max like you do, I don't deserve her." I whispered.

"No you don't." I heard a familiar voice say just as the gas caught fire. And then... was put out.

"Wha?" I looked around, and there was Ari, growling under his breath and attacking Holden like a rabid dog. I watched in disbelief as he turned into just that. With a tail, and paws, and a muzzle. Everything. The whole package. Who was he? Jacob Black?

Honestly, I didn't care as long as he saved my life. I stood up shakily. "Ari watch out!" I shouted as two other guys came at him. But Ari didn't need a heads up, he was tearing into all three of them at once.

Two more guys came at me and I couldn't do much, I was too weak. They tackled me easily and one of them went off to try and take on Ari while the other held me down.

"You're dead, pretty boy." He whispered, grabbing a lighter out of his pocket and lighting it up. "One flame at a time." He laughed until Ari tackled him, killing him within a minute and then the fur ball turned to me, growling and spitting and barking and... pouncing?

I yelped and punched Ari with what little strength I had. "Dude it's me!" I snapped, but his eyes weren't gold anymore, they were red. They robotish, it was like it wasn't even him. Claws ripped into my skin and I yelled in pain before grabbing the nearest thing I could find and stabbing Ari with it.

Time slowed down as he looked me dead in the eye, his wolfishness dissipating and his humanish form coming out. He watched me, jut laying there as his blood dripped onto my shirt. "I'm free." He whispered, his eyes shifting back to gold as I began to wonder what he meant by that. He whispered an "I'm sorry" before collapsing, the object staying firmly gripped in my hand.

For three horrifying seconds, I laid there, staring at the blade in my hands that had gone through Ari's skull like it was mash potatoes. And then I dropped it, unable to believe what had happened.

Had I just... killed Ari? No. I wouldn't kill him. I killed a monster. A thing. Whatever attacked me. Not Ari. I sat up and stared at the boy who had blood leaking out of his temple, who stared up at the sky almost longingly, as if dreaming he was up there with the stars.

A dream I had made true. "Ari, I didn't kill you." I whispered, closing his eyes. "I- I killed that thing that attacked me." I mumbled, standing up, then falling back down. I was too weak to get up and so I just sat there, staring at Ari, willing him to wake up, to laugh and say it was a joke, to go back to hating me.

But it wouldn't happened. I had just killed Ari.

What was Max going to think?\

...

She got here a couple hours later and first came to me. "Fang! Oh my God! What happened?" She demanded, hugging me tight.

"Max, I-"

"Ari?" Max asked, abandoning me to go see her boyfriend. She gasped and I knew she had seen the blood caked to the side of his head. Tears welled up in her eyes as she felt for a pulse, placed her ear against his chest, pressed down on his stomach.

"What happened?" She asked again, now sounding broken as she looked around, and then noticed the knife at my side. She glanced at the hole in Ari's head, then the knife again, then me. Gears turned in her head and she looked at me accusingly.

"Fang, please tell me you didn't..."

"It was self defense. I didn't wanna kill him. He morphed all wolfish and jumped on me!" I said quickly.

"You killed him?" Max asked, sounding like someone had killed her. Tears fell faster as she punched my chest, not as hard as she could've though. "I hate you!" She screamed over and ove,r hitting me as I wrapped my arms arund and hugged her close until she stopped and we jut sat there for who knows how long, Max crying and telling me she hates me, me trying not to cry and whispering apologies, knowing nothing would ever be good enough.

**Sorry bout not updating in awhile. And yes, this is where the Mari ends! In a very sad way, but all the same in a way. Might've been short. Sorry bout that. I'll try to keep updating. Just know I won't ever give up on any of my stories. **

**Soar on**

**VR**


	18. Forget for a Day, Forgive Forever

**I don't own MR**

**Max**

I had collapsed into Fang, buried my face in his chest, and sobbed, all the strength gone, all my Maxness disappeared. He was dead. Ari was dead. How was I going to deal with this? I didn't know, so instead I just hugged a murderer. Ari's murderer. And let him whisper soothing things in my ear and hug me tight.

"Max please, I know how hard this is for you, but I need you to get a grip. I don't have much longer if I don't get some help. Fast." Fang whispered.

"Good! Die already!" I mumbled, hugging him tighter, exhausted and heartbroken and cold and sad.

"Max please, help me out." Fang whispered, and I pulled away to see what was wrong with him. And instantly wished I hadn't.

My anger flooded out when I saw the blood that had drenched his shirt. "Oh my gosh." I whispered, unbuttoning his shirt and staring at the wound in horror. "How are you still alive?" I whispered, yanking his shirt off and ripping it into strips.

Fang shrugged as I tied the strips around his torso, "Thanks." He whispered quietly, the blood already showing through the shirt as he stood up.

"Let's get you to a hospital." I mumbled. Fang nods.

"Where's Lexi?" He asked suddenly, wrapping an arm around my shoulders as we walk to the car. Most of his weight is on me, but I don't mind. He looks pretty beat up.

"At home sleeping. Worry about yourself for once." I muttered as he climbed into the passenger seat I took off toward the hospital.

…

I went back home to Lexi while Fang went into the ER. He had to stay over night and a couple officers had come in to ask what happened. She was sleeping, thankfully. And so I got a snack and went and laid on the couch.

And a realization hit me hard. Ari was dead. He was gone. My first real love had died. And all I had left of him was that necklace he had given me so long ago that was somewhere in my room.

I cried into the pillow on the couch for half the night as I thought about him before finally falling into a restless sleep.

…

I woke up to Fang, who was smirking at me. "Drool much?" He asked, picking up the pillow that was wet.

"That's not drool, that's from me crying myself to sleep." I snapped bitterly, and his smirk instantly dropped. "Shouldn't you be at a hospital?" I asked him, sitting up and stretching my arms out in front of me.

"Max, I got released at one." Fang said.

"Well what time is it?" I asked, everything from last night coming back to me. The image of dead-Ari was burned into the back of my mind forever.

"Three in the afternoon. Lexi's staying after school today and you obviously didn't go. What a bad girl you are." Fang joked.

"Well I'm sorry! My boyfriend was murdered by one of my friends! What am I supposed to do? Walk into school with a smile on my face and say 'oh yeah, I'm fine. Fang killed Ari but it's all good.'?" I snapped, furious with him all over again.

"Max, he attacked me. He wasn't Ari. I didn't kill Ari. I killed a monster." Fang whispered, sitting down next to me and pulling me into his lap. I didn't want his comfort right now, but I found myself needing it- craving it even.

"What do you mean?" I asked, curling up against him, feeling weak and vulnerable. Right now, Fang could hurt me. He was dealing with a fragile and broken side of me that almost no one had ever seen. He could play me and I wouldn't know it until morning. He could be his usual perverted self and I'd go along with it.

But he didn't.

Instead Fang hugged me against him and kissed the top of my head. "His eyes were red, he looked like a wolf, and when he tried to kill me, his moves were almost robotic. When um, when I stabbed him, his eyes were gold again, he was human again, and he looked me in the eye, and he said 'I'm free' and then he collapsed."

"His dad did horrible things to him." I whispered. "He experimented on Ari."

"If that can be done, who's to say he couldn't control him?" Fang asked after a moment, and I realized he was right. It could've been me under Ari, about to be killed. Except I wouldn't have killed him, he would've killed me. It could've been anyone.

"Fang, can you look me in the eye and tell me killing him was your last resort, your only option?" I asked quietly, looking up at him.

Fang smiled sadly at me and brushed my hair behind my ear. "Max, I can honestly say I was bleeding out, I was weak, he tackled me, and he was going to kill me. He was too strong for me to push him off, and if I wouldn't have done what I did, I'd be the dead one. Maybe I could've just knocked him out, but there was nothing close enough to do it with."

I sighed and looked down. "I don't know how I'm gonna do it, but I'll find a way to forgive you, maybe." I whispered, hugging his neck.

"You don't ever have to forgive me, Max. just please, don't tell anybody. I- I don't know what I would do if I went to jail. Lexi would be stuck in an orphanage, and I- I'd never see her again." Fang said, brushing his fingers through my hair.

"I won't. I- I know it was self-defense." I whispered, though I didn't understand why of all people, it had to be Ari. If Fang was dead, I wouldn't be this upset, would I?

I quickly pushed the thought out of my head. I wouldn't want any of my friends dying, even if they were jerks sometimes- most of the time actually.

"Fang, what am I going to do? What are we gonna tell everyone?" I asked, wishing I could be dead too. I couldn't stand sympathy, or pity.

"Well, we can tell them, or the principal will." Fang said. I found this moment with him to be a really sweet one. I've never really just hugged him before- or sat in his lap before for that matter, but it was nice, and it felt right- and what am I saying? It's Fang! He just killed my boyfriend less than twenty-four hours ago!

I pulled away from him and crawled over to the other side of the couch. Something like hurt filled his eyes for a moment before he put up his emotionless mask.

"Max, sweetheart, come on. Let's face it, we need each other right now. We can forget about today, tomorrow, I promise, but right now, can we just forget about everything else?" He asked. Could I? Just for the remainder of the day? Just push my worries aside and let Fang hold me? I didn't know. At all. I would never forget, forgiving would be the key in all of this.

I didn't get to decide though cause Fang had already pulled me back into his lap and hugged me, and I silently forgave him as he did. Cause as he held me I realized something, Fang wasn't a killer. He couldn't kill anybody even if he had to. He didn't mean to kill Ari, he wasn't aiming for the head, he wouldn't have done it if he could've escaped.

And so I wrapped my arms around Fang's waist, and I slowly drifted off, my body still feeling exhausted.

…

I woke up in my bed, my wonderful, comfy bed, and also with Fang kneeling on the ground, next to me, brushing my hair out of my eyes. He was dangerously close, but I just wanted to hug him again, cause when I did, all my problems went away. He kissed my forehead. That might've bothered me, but I reminded myself he was a friend, and Iggy did it all the time too. "Hey Max, how are you feeling?" He asked quietly.

"Good. Sad but good." I mumbled, sitting up and stretching.

"Do you wanna go get some ice cream? It's on the house." Fang said, smiling at me.

"Ice cream is just what I need. And some mushy rom-coms too." I added, with a laugh.

"Alright. And I'll do you a favor and watch'em with you so when you cry a river, you can say it's because I'm so awesome and I remind you of those guys in the movie." Fang joked, and he made me laugh.

"Yeah right. You wish, Love boy." I said, standing up. "I'm gonna take a shower." I announced grabbing some clean clothes.

"I'll come with." Fang tried, and I found myself picturing a non-clothed Fang sprayed with water and shuddered. It was actually a wonderful picture, but I was thinking about a naked Fang. That's just plain creepy on my part.

"No you want." I snapped, slamming the bathroom door in his face.

I took a shower and got dressed before coming out of the bathroom only to find Fang messing with things on my dresser. "Come on Ice cream man." I snapped, but he didn't even jump, just turned around and smirked.

"Alright, let's go." He said, and with that, we left my room, down the stairs, and out the house to his car. What fun this would be.

**I can't believe this story has over 200 reviews. It just... I almost cried when I saw that cause it shows how much you guys really like this story. I feel so bad for taking a week or so at a time to update cause we all know that's not my usual pattern. And I'm so very sorry and I hope you forgive me. But I've been sick these last couple days to I took the weekend and Mon and Tues to write this up, trying to make the Faxiness good yet reserved for now. I hope my fans are still there, I love you guys.**

**Soar on**

**VR**


	19. Never Ever

**I don't own MR**

**Max**

I sat across from Fang in the booth, staring down at my ice cream, taking small bites every now and then. What did I feel towards this strong, hot, pervert? Fear. Awkward. Self-conscience. I know it sounds crazy, but what if Fang had been lying? What if it wasn't his only choice? What if he just killed Ari to get him out of the way so he could have me all to himself.

I glanced at Fang. Sorrow, grief, and something else swirled in his obsidian eyes and I refused to believe he could kill Ari out of spite. If he really did like me, he wouldn't hurt me like that, right? "Max, please say something." Fang whispered after about ten minutes of silence.

I looked up at him, no longer comforted by his gentle gaze. "I need to hear your voice. Tell me you wish I was dead instead of Ari- please just say something!" Fang insisted.

"I love him, Fang. I don't want you dead-"

"But you want Ari alive." He finished bitterly. I sat rigid, afraid to answer. "Max, if I could kill myself right now and have Ari take my place I... no. I wouldn't. He'd kill everyone he loves. I did you a favor!" Fang said suddenly, snapping.

"A favor? Fang you-"

"He would've killed you! How could I live with myself knowing the girl I think I'm in love with is dead?" Both fang and I froze in shock. Had he really just said that? Fang sighed and stood up and I trembled with fear and uncertainty. He's hit me only once before, but it's enough to scar you for life.

"I- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything." Fang whispered, sliding in next to me and hugging me close. For some reason, I didn't hug him back. I shoved him away instead.

"Don't be sorry Fang- but I can't love you back. If we got together now I'd only hurt you because you'd be more like a rebound and-"

"I'm fine with being a rebound- I don't care about getting hurt either." He blurted out and I blinked. Did he want to be able to my boyfriend _that _bad? I shook my head, pushing past him.

"Fang, I'm trying to tell you nicely- I don't want to hug you, or kiss you, or like you! You hurt me a lot worse than you realize. Accident or not- it happened and you can't undo it so please, just leave me alone." I shouted and stormed out.

I walked home in the cold, shivering as I tried to grasp a hold on what had just happened. Though as I entered my neighbor, my best friend and brother from a different... planet walks up to me. "Maxie girl, we need to talk. I heard about... him. And I'm also having some problems in that department of... love? Lost? What do you call it?" Iggy mumbled, sounding normal for once as he subconsciously pulled his jacket off and draped it over my shoulders.

I slid my arms through the holes of the familiar material that I had slept with on my saddest nights. That I had slept next to when I was afraid. Iggy was there for me forever and always, and he was the only one who was.

"Iggy, go first please, I..." My voice trailed off but he got the point.

"JJ thinks I'm cheating on her. I- I didn't kiss Ella back! I swear, but, Max she broke up with me! She wouldn't listen and I... I don't know what to do." Iggy admitted.

"Oh, Igster." I whispered, hugging him and running my fingers through his shaggy strawberry blonde hair. "Sweetie, I'm so sorry. I'm sure she just needs some time- or maybe, maybe it wasn't meant to be. Maybe Mrs. Right just hasn't exposed herself yet." I said, kissing his cheek. "And if not we'll blow her car up." I added.

"Thanks Max, you always know how to cheer a pyro up." Iggy muttered and kissed my nose. I grinned weakly and leaned into him as we continued walking to my home, he had one arm slung around my shoulders and I had one slung around his waist.

"Iggy, I love you so much. And I can talk about anything with you- but this, this is going to be hard. I need you to promise you're not gonna go ballistic or hurt anyone, or... or not be my friend anymore." I whispered.

"Maxie, I love you too, nothing will change that." Iggy mumbled, squeezing my shoulders lightly.

"Well, Fang killed Ari." I started. Silence. "It was self-defense because he attacked fang. And I get it in one way, but in another I don't. I mean, yeah, I would try to defend myself too, but kill him? He says it was an accident but I just don't know." Iggy, stayed quiet, urging me to go on.

"He took me out to get ice cream after we had this heart to heart thing, only, I started thinking when we got there. What if he had killed Ari out of spite? But he couldn't have. There was so much guilt and regret in his eyes! Oh, Iggy it almost brought me to tears! And then, we got into a sorta fight and well, he told me he was in love with me." I whispered quietly.

Iggy stopped walking and I stopped with him. "Oh, poor Max. hug me sista!" Iggy said and squeezed my tight in a bear hug.

"I- I don't know what to do." I whispered, crying into his shoulder as I hugged his neck. Iggy just held me, whispering sweet words that when in one ear and came out the other.

"Shh, it's okay, Max. I'll help you sort everything out." Iggy promised and picked me up, carrying me home bridal style as I cried into his shoulder. A numb feeling had ran through my body by the time we got home and it was all I could do to crawl under my blankets and lay there on my bed. Iggy crawled in next to me and hugged my waist.

"Maxie, want me to make you feel better?" Iggy asked, and I just stared at the wall before nodding weakly. "Well, the two most beautiful people in school are about to get suspended probably for a little something we're gonna do tonight to Phoenix High School." Yup, that's was Iggy, always cheering me up.

I grinned and turned to face him. "And what is it that's suspend-worthy?" I asked.

…

I giggled like a school girl as Iggy picked the lock. My pyro-genius had come up with a plan that might even get us expelled. "You ready sweet thang?" He asked, smirking, and I nodded, flipping my hair over dramatically.

Iggy opened the door and we both tiptoed in and headed for the cafeteria first. "Now remember, it's gonna take some time so we gotta work hard." Iggy muttered, as we began to move the first folded-up table in place.

One hour later we had all the main hallways finished and now moved on to the classrooms. What we were doing was making a maze out of all the school furniture, and when that ran out, we'd use boxes the Iggy had brought. Of course, it wouldn't be a pyro-Maze without having a bomb at every dead end.

We worked all through the night, and it was a good way to get my mind off of everything.

Iggy and I finally finished at five in the morning and celebrated by finding our way to the front doors and leaving that awful building. "Thanks Igs." I whispered, hugging him tightly.

"No, thank you." Iggy whispered, running his fingers through my hair. I guess in a way, we had helped each other. As we walked home hand in hand, me leaning against my best friend, time seemed to speed up.

When I finally crawled into bed it was six, and that was after my shower so naturally, I couldn't sleep. Iggy laid next to me, trying to get me to rest for the one hour I got to, but every time I closed my eyes I saw Ari.

"Darling, please just sleep for me." Iggy whispered, as I curled up into his chest.

"I'll try." I mumbled, promising nothing. But I guess I did fall asleep, cause next thing I know my mom's screams were waking me up.

"Why the hell is that freak in your bed!?" Mom's nails-on-a-chalkboard voice screeched, causing me to jump with a start as I woke up. Tiredly, I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes as Iggy sat up. Okay, this didn't look so innocent. He must've taken his shirt off before he went to sleep and I was wearing his jacket and my soft pajama shorts... like short-short shorts.

"Mom, calm down- we didn't do anything!" I snapped, but that didn't stop her from screaming at Iggy.

"Get the hell out of my house you bastard! I don't ever wanna see you near this place again!" Iggy stumbled off the bed and grabbed his shirt, shamefully walking out my room, but winking at me as my mom dragged him away. I smiled back at my almost brother and waved before throwing on some jeans and a tank top, slipping his jacket back on and running downstairs.

Only to find my mom glaring at me as I pulled my converse on. "Did you two have-"

"Mom! He's like a brother to me! I'm just... going through something and he was trying to cheer me up." I muttered,

"How? Bye getting in your pants?" Mom shouted.

"He's not like that! He has a girlfriend!" I snarled. _Had. _I realized, but didn't bother correcting myself.

"What could you possibly be going through that you had to let him sleep in you bed?" Mom asked, she didn't even know.

"Turn on the news lately? Ari's dead!" I snapped, feeling the sensation of tears starting to form. My mom blinked. She may have not liked him, but she knew how I felt about him.

"Oh sweetie, how? He's so young." Mom whispered.

"A gang attacked him." I mumbled, not entirely a lie. Mom wrapped me up in a hug but I pushed away. "I don't want your comfort. You can't cheer me up. That's Iggy's job." I spat coldly, storming out of the house.

…

I hated that I cried so much, and so I bottled my feelings up. No more tears. No more emotions. I sighed and began to walk into the woods. "Hey Max! Where you going?" I heard a familiar voice ask. A voice I didn't want to hear.

"It's none of your business!" I snarled, not turning around.

"Max look, I know what I did was wrong, and I haven't exactly been the best of friends, but I wanna make things right." Fang called, following me.

"You blew that chance a long time ago." I snapped.

"Why are you so bipolar! First you're all upset and perfectly willing to have me help you, and now you act like you want me to die."

"Well maybe I do!" I growled before I could stop myself. Fang stayed quiet. "So what? Are you gonna hit me now?" I asked quietly. Fang cringed.

"Max, I- I'm sorry. I know that's not enough- and I know it never will be, I just... I want you to know-"

"It's because of Gazzy!" I blurted out, and Fang looked at me, confused.

"What?" He asked.

"Whenever someone new tries to break down my walls I shut them out because a long time ago I let somebody in without a second thought and they harassed and assaulted my brother every day. And- and I wouldn't listen to him... and he stopped trying to tell me, and... then he killed himself." I whispered. Iggy was the only other person I the world who knew the truth behind Gazzy's death. I guess I just needed to say it out loud again. I needed to get a grip, to remind myself why I shouldn't have let Ari in. maybe if I hadn't I wouldn't be in this situation...

"Oh Max, I- I'm so sorry. I- I didn't know, I just thought you were naturally... mean? Demanding? I don't know." Fang muttered, kicking the rocks down a hill.

"Exactly Fang. You don't know. You'll never know. You manipulated me in my most vulnerable state. I can't love you- ever." I whispered, and turned and headed into the woods.

Little did I know that statement was a hardcore lie ;)

**Alright, I'm sorry if this chapter doesn't seem to connect with the last one. I've just been in a hole with this story lately. I love you guys and wow! Almost 250 reviews? Amazing! I never thought this story would get this far. And yes, we have caught up with the story, but her conscience will still add side notes. XD**

**Soar on**

**VR**


	20. The River

**I don't own MR**

**Max**

The first flake of snow dropped on my nose, and the rest just began to tumble down into the world in slow motion as I stumbled through the forest.

"_Max! He hit me!"  
__"He wouldn't do that to you, Gazzy." _

I tripped over a broken branch and barely caught my footing as I went deeper and deeper into the woods.

_"He called me bad words! Max, he scares me!"  
__"Not now, Gazzy!"_

Life flashed white, then mud brown, then bright orange, red splattered among, and yellow dripping down.

_"Look at me!"  
__I didn't look._

I walked across the icy tree too fast, barely able to keep my balance over the rushing river.

_"Talk to me!"  
__I didn't say a word._

I miscalculated a step, and I slipped. The cold river embraced me in a cruel hug as I screamed, wondering which way was up and which was down. Why me? Why now? I screamed again before I was yanked under the surface.

_"Max, I had a nightmare! He drowned me in the river we play at!"  
__"He stabbed me with Mama's kitchen knife in one!"  
__"He threatened to kill me today. It wasn't a dream..."  
__"Dylan hates me!" Gazzy would ramble on but I wouldn't pay attention. Dylan was my boyfriend, he wouldn't hurt my little brother, let alone hate him._

My head bobbed up out of the water just in time to catch a breath before sinking back under into the freezing abyss.

_I was tired of Gazzy coming into my room, claiming he had nightmares about my first love killing him, and so I locked my door at night. I could hear him trying to get in as I texted Dylan way past my bedtime. _

I reached out for anything and everything until my hand finally grabbed onto to something- or someone.

_Gazzy hadn't come out of his room all day, and since I was bored and ready to play with my little brother after days of ignoring him, I climbed up the stairs and knocked on his door. "Gazzy! Let's go play in the river! It's a nice hot day!" I called. No answer._

_ I sighed and went to open the door. Locked. Rolling my eyes, I grabbed a bobby pin out of my hair and unlocked the door._

I lay on my stomach on the bank of the river, coughing up water and shivering in my wet clothes. I stared at the black converse with a hatred that I didn't know I had. He followed me.

_When I opened the door, pure horror stared back at me and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. My precious, innocent, sweet brother hung limp from the ceiling, a belt around his neck and a chair kicked out from under him. He wore his black converse and his suit that he had worn to my mom's friends wedding._

"Why?" I asked quietly, still choking up water.

"You almost got yourself killed." He whispered, kneeling down and pulling Iggy's jacket off me, then tugging at my shirt.

"Get off me you perv!" I snarled.

"You're going to get pneumonia if you don't put something dry on!" Fang snapped at me, and I stopped fighting. He took his jacket and shirt off, making sure his eyes never left mine as he pulled my soaked tank top off and pulled his black shirt over my head.

I reluctantly slipped my hands through the holes and let him drape his warm, dry, comfortable leather jacket over my shoulders. "Were you trying to kill yourself?" Fang asked quietly after many silent moments of sitting there on the dead leaves and dirt.

"No." I finally said, ringing my hair out. "I was trying to cross the river, and I slipped off the log."

"When I saw you in the water, all I could think about was 'Yup, this is my fault. She's gonna die and I'll have killed two people in two days'" Fang whispered and for the first time, I began to look at things from his perspective.

He had accidentally killed somebody I loved, and he felt horrible. He had apologized in so many different ways it took all my fingers and toes to add them up. He was in love with me. And so the fact that I had been so cold to him earlier must have broke his heart, and then now, here we are, me looking like I was going to die, and all he could think about was that it was his fault.

"I'm such a jerk. I deserve to die." I mumbled, glaring at the rapid water for not taking my life before he could help me, then realized that that would've hurt Fang even more.

"Please don't say that. Nobody deserves death." He whispered, caressing my cheek. I looked at him with real guilt in my eyes at the pain I could see in his.

"Fang, I'm sorry. I just, my emotions are everywhere right now with everything that's happened. I- maybe one day we can be together. I just don't think that day is today. I wish I could-" I was cut off by Fang's lips against mine.

The kiss was so different than how he usual kissed me. Normally it was rough and it was hungry and it was lustful.

This kiss, it was soft, it was gentle, and it represented nothing more than love. For a few sacred moments, I kissed him back, desperate to be love liked this. Like Ari had loved me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled back, resting my forehead against his. "I don't want you to just be my rebound, Fang. I want you to really mean something to me." I whispered.

"I'm okay with being a rebound for now, though." Fang said hopefully. I smiled and shook my head.

"I don't deserve you. You're really a wonderful guy at heart, and you love your sister so much, and you care about your friends no matter how much they think you don't. You're... Fang, you are amazing." I finished, as his warm hands intertwined with mine, warming me up.

"Max, you're amazing-"

"No, Fang, I'm not, I'm a selfish, mean, brat. I didn't even know that my brother was being abused! I looked past it because... because I thought I loved the guy who was hurting him." I mumbled. Fang just hugged me, and he wouldn't let go.

"I'm willing to put the past where it belongs, if you are." Fang whispered, and I slowly nodded.

"I just don't want it to happen again." I admitted.

"I won't ever hurt you-"

"No. I mean overlooking the truth." I corrected, and Fang kissed my forehead.

"We all make mistakes, Max. It's the game of life. You just gotta get back in the game. After all, I'm not perfect. Lexi was being bullied, and I blew it off for awhile-"

"But it wasn't too late when you took it into your own hands." I interrupted. "And plus, those people probably got in trouble. They never caught the guy who harassed my brother. And there wasn't any proof anymore anyways."

"Max, would you shut up and listen for once? You're the most gorgeous person on this earth, and no matter how much you down yourself, I know who you really are. You're wonderful, and funny, and you just learned a little too well from a mistake. I can help you open up, and you can help me... with my aggressiveness I guess you'd call it."

"You mean shoving me up against a wall and smacking your teeth against mine? Yeah, a little aggressive." I muttered bitterly.

"The point is, we can help each other, Max. we can get through this together. You just have to be willing to talk to me, to really talk to me." Fang finished and I looked at him with a sparkle in my eyes I didn't know was there.

"Fang, I think this is the most I've ever heard you talk. And it's over me. How could I sit here and say no to you after that?" I asked and hugged his neck tighter and let him kiss me again. Right now, he was just my friend. These kisses didn't matter to me right now, but later, maybe we could work something out. And then maybe they would.

**Alright, since I haven't updated in forever I decided to give you all two chapters tonight- well actually it's the next day here. **

**OH! HAPPY BELATED THANKSGIVING! Hope anyone who went shopping on Black Friday wore their helmets. Love you all! Oh and, I expect reviews on both chapters. **

**Soar on**

**VR**


	21. Movie Night

**I don't own MR**

**One Year Later:**

I sent a small smile to Fang, who was sitting with the rest of the _select _basketball team. "I can't believe he picked you over me." Lissa muttered, looking to said boy I just smiled at.

"I can't believe he picked me over you guys." I told them honestly, picking at the school lunch with a fork and wrinkling my nose in distaste.

"Maxie Darling, we all know he should've picked _me._" Iggy snapped playfully. I rolled my eyes and shoved him.

"Oh right, cause Fang is obviously gay and secretly hiding in the closet using me as his cover." I told Iggy.

"Oh yeah, totally." Fang said, smirking as he walked over to our table. "And now Iggy, I'm finally coming out of the closet to express my undying love for you!" He added, dropping to his knees.

"Oh really, Hon?" Igster asked.

"Nope." Fang said simply, popping the P and taking the empty seat next to me. "So, we still on for movie night, girls?" He asked, looking to our little group.

"Duh!" Nudge said- whoa, shortest sentence to ever come out of her- "We can like totally watch a rom-com like _Letters To Juliet _or something like that and then I get to snuggle with you this time cause..." Never mind.

As Nudge continued to ramble about movies we could watch, Fang rested his hand on my knee and politely pretended to be paying attention to her while he made me shiver and melt with just a glance. I don't even think Ari could ever do that. I sighed. There I went thinking about him again.

"Hey, I know that look." Fang whispered, nudging me gently. I just looked at him, hoping he didn't push. And of course, being Fang, he didn't.

I rested my head on Iggy's shoulder and my feet in Fang's lap as Nudge talked up a storm. Iggy wrapped an arm around me and kissed my forehead. "I know that look, too, Missy." He said, tapping my nose. I just grinned at him as Fang untied my shoes and tied them back up again, doing this over and over again till the bell rang.

…

Nudge cuddled into Fang's left side as Angel snuggled into his left. He sent me a smirk that said he'd 'cuddle' with me later. Which for Fang, cuddling your girlfriend means groping her. I just rolled my eyes and used Iggy's chest as my pillow, sticking my tongue out at my boyfriend.

Okay, so something just occurred to me. You all must be confused as to why Angel and Nudge get to hold onto my man. Well, all of us (minus Ella, who still is well... disliked) made a deal that Fang was now the whole gang's boyfriend. I mean, I'm obviously the only one he kisses, but they all get to hug him and hold his hand just because I'm an exceptionally nice girlfriend.

"Max! I can't make out with you now, put your tongue back in your mouth!" Fang said playfully and I threw a pillow at him. He just chuckled and we all turned towards the flat screen as movie night began. It was Fang's turn to pick the movie and I was a little surprised by the action-packed war movie he picked. Though I was also glad it wasn't some cliche horror movie.

Three movies later Angel and Nudge were asleep and Fang snuck out of their grasp, picking me up off a sleeping Iggy's lap and smirking. "So, it's just us." He said. I yawned.

"Just you actually, I'm tired." I insisted.

"Oh come, I'm bored of just watching you change all the time. We should take a step up in our relationship." Fang insisted.

"We've only been together six months- wait? Since when do you watch me change?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Since you forgot I know how to climb trees." Fang said in a 'duh' tone.

"Stalker." I accused, shoving him and jumping down, heading to the kitchen.

"Max, I sexually harass you all the time at school, what do you expect? You have long legs by the way, you should show them off more often for me." He added casually, following me. I rolled my eyes.

"I should get a restraining order against you." I muttered.

"But you won't because you love it when I kiss you."

"Iggy's a good kisser, I could just kiss him." I pointed out.

"Even after he's married to Nudge, or JJ, or one of those freaks?" Fang asked and I shrugged.

"You do realize you just called me a freak, right?" I asked.

"You do realize I just called myself a freak, right?" He shot back.

"Yuppers. Don't worry Poptart. I won't get a restraining order against you and make out with Iggy for the rest of my life, but you seriously gotta stop trying to get me to sleep with you. It's not happening." I said simply, getting myself a bottle of water

Fang huffed. "Fine. But I'm still gonna harass you." He muttered.

"I don't it's harassing if I like it." I pointed out.

"Okay, then I'm still gonna viciously shove you against a wall and make out with you at random times." Fang corrected.

"I can live with that." I said brightly, drinking some water.

"Oh, and watch you change."

"Whatever." I mumbled just as Lexi walked in tiredly.

"Fang, I had a nightmare." She whispered. She had been sleeping in my room after watching her own movies since fang wouldn't let her watch what we were.

"Do you wanna talk about it, Sweetie?" He asked, picking her up and carrying her back to my room. I followed.

"You and Maxie got into a fight and broke up. I don't want that to happen." Lexi whined and I smiled, fixing the blankets before Fang sat down in the bed, kicking his shoes off.

"Want me and Maxie to stay with you until you go back to sleep?" He asked.

"Yeah. And read me that bedtime story too!" She added brightly as Fang tucked her in. I laid down next to her and let her cuddle into me while Fang got a book out of his duffel bag and sat down, tucking his legs under the covers before beginning to read some Cinderella story to her. I smiled at the way he got into it, throwing his voice around. Lexi giggled tiredly and even after she was asleep, Fang finished the story before tucking it back in his backpack.

"You know, Max, sometimes I wonder what it would be like if we had kids. Do you think I'd be a good dad like I am to Lexi?" He asked, laying down and wrapping an arm around both of us. I didn't even have to think about it.

"Yeah. Fang you'd be the perfect dad. You're so good with kids." I said and kissed Lexi's forehead.

"Thanks. I love you, Max." He whispered, and for the first time in our whole relationship, I said it back.

"I love you too, Fang." We smiled at each other and he kissed my nose.

"We should go to sleep now." He whispered.

"Yeah, we should."

**Okay, I'm SORRY this took so long to post, I'm SORRY it's short, and I'm SORRY this is the second to last chapter. Yes I know, I could've done so much more with this story, and Im REALLY sorry, guys. But, I've just began to lose interest in this particular plotline.  
Oh and, for those of you who would like an explanation to this couple-months-later update: I took theatre this year, I've been freaking over my grades, and I've been in a play. And honestly? I think I'm going to keep pursuing theatre, so my updates will NOT be as often as every-other-day like they used to be. obviously. But I promise to try hard with all my other stories. I love you guys and I'm sorry for putting you through this long wait only to disappoint you all. Please forgive me, i really have no excuses.**

**I LOVE YOU ALL!**

**Soar on**

**VR**


	22. I Do?

**I don't own MR**

**Max is 20... So three years later?**

**Part 1:**

"You look absolutely gorgeous!" Nudge squealed, one of the select few I picked to be in this room with me. Along with my mother of course, and yes, I had to, Igster.

"My baby girl's growing up!" Iggy sobbed quietly looking pretty handsome in his dark blue suit with a black tee shirt underneath. I walked over and hugged him tight.

"Yes she is." I whispered, before pulling away and clipping on the bowtie Iggy picked out. A bright red one with navy blue pin stripes. "And I'm glad you've been there with me through the process." I kissed his cheek and squeezed his shoulder gently. "Why don't you go check on Fang though, Babe? I'm sure he's as shaky as he was when he popped the question." I told him, smirking. And Iggy nodded, giving me one last look before walking out. I sighed and looked back in the mirror.

"Max, he's going to drool over you! I mean, I have to admit, when he asked you to marry him seven months ago I was like 'that is so way too fast' I mean, sure you guys are in love, but I don't know, it just didn't seem to fit until now." Nudge rambled and I smiled once more.

"You know Nudge, it didn't completely feel right to say yes from my point of view either, but I'm glad I did." I examined my dress. It was white (duh) and strapless. It was tight around my torso but loosened up around my waist and flowed down beautifully, not necessarily poofing out, but something close to that. It wasn't too elegant, or too simple, it was just right. Perfect for a Just Right wedding.

"Oh that's the bridesmaids' cue!" Nudge exclaimed hearing the music and soon she left, leaving just me and my mom. She stood up and walked over to me.

"I know I haven't been the best mom, but I'm glad I can be hear. I'm gonna go find my seat." She added and kissed my cheek. "I'll tell Iggy to come get you." She added and I nodded, hugging her tight.

"Thanks." I whispered.

"For what?" She asked, sounding a little confused.

"Just for everything." I told her and she smiled brightly before leaving. I took a deep breath and looked into my mirror. Here it came. Just a few steps down the isle and I'd be a verse-from-the-Bible away from saying 'I do' and being with Fang for the rest of my life. This had to be the best day of my life.

However, I couldn't help but think of Ari. Would he want this to happen? Would it be him instead of Fang if he hadn't been killed? I thought long and hard but now, I couldn't picture Ari in Fang's place. Not like I used to be able to like when we went out on a date and I could just compare their behavior.

Fang was a completely different story, but thinking back, I always liked his story better. I looked myself over once more, double-checking my chocolate brown hair curled into spirals and smoothing out my dress that had a short train to it.

"If he hurts you I'm gonna have to slaughter him." Iggy whispered, tears still in his eyes.

"He loves me, Iggy." I told myself more than him as I turned to my best friend. Sure Fang told me every chance he got, but he was still a hopeless flirt sometimes. I felt invisible on some of our dates and every now and then, I wonder where he is on his late nights at work, but I guess I've never been the jealous type, and there's no reason to start now.

"That sounded like you were trying to assure yourself more than me." Dammit! Why does he have to no me so well?

"I guess I'm just…"

"Scared." Iggy supplied and I nodded, hugging him tight. "Sweetie, you don't have to do this. If you want to, you can call it off right now."

"But I want to, Iggy, so bad. Just sometimes… I wonder." I mumbled.

"Look, Maxie, as much as I hate to help persuade you to do this marriage thing, Fang really does love you with all his heart. And Lexi just thinks you're a queen. So I want you to march out there, head held high, brightest smile on your face, because I have to- I mean, you have to face this. You're about to marry an amazing guy who would die in the most painful way for you." That last sentence was choked out. "Thank you, Iggy. I love you, bro." I said and let go of him before linking my arm in his. No sooner did we make it to the door of this building; the music changed to the average wedding song and Iggy walked me down the isle. On the first step everyone turned their heads to look at me and gasps rang out from the crowd. I suddenly felt self conscience as Fang looked my way too and bit my lip before remembering I had to smile.

He grinned that famous lopsided grin of his at me and mouthed '_You look beautiful''._ My smile brightened at that and I no longer cared about the other stares as Iggy led me down the isle and gave me away to Fang. Rather slowly. He kept his arm hooked with mine for a moment and sent a glare at Fang. "I know how to kill grown men with empty ketchup packets." He snarled quietly before smiling at me and kissing my cheek, heading to the other groomsmen. Some people on Fang's college basketball team that I didn't bother to get to know too well except Sam. He was a pretty lighthearted guy who was like another Iggy… only less insane.

Fang sent me a scared look before squeezing my hand and glancing at the Pastor.

He began to talk and say everything he was supposed to say. It was hard to listen though, I was too focused on Fang.

His hair was brushed out of his eyes and flipped to the side and I grinned, thinking of how I'd ruffle it up after I said the two most important words in my life most likely. I never really liked it neat and Fang knew that too. Guess brushed hair was protocol or something.

He wore a black suit and a navy blue V-neck. I grinned at that. Stylish yet Wedding-approved at the same time. He also had on black vans that I thought about scolding him for, but then thought of my own white converse and bit my tongue.

I was so involved in what Fang was wearing I didn't even realize him say 'I do' and now for the third or forth time I was being asked the question.

"Oh um…" Here it came, moment of truth, with each passing second the twinkle began to leave Fang's eyes. Here he was, fully ready to commit and then here I was, wanting to break down and sob and sob until I had no tears left then curl up with a blanket and watch a movie somewhere far away from Fang, where I wouldn't have to face this hurt expression on his face that only made me wanna cry harder.

"What's the matter Maxie, wolf got your tongue?" A very familiar voice said. And even after the last few years, it rang in my ears as clear as ever.

"Ari?"

**MWAHAHAHA you can thank Random AKA whosaidblondescantread for the idea of the ending. And yes, this epic finale is being broken into 2 PARTS! I love you all. PLEASE REVIEW! It would mean everything to me if we got this story to 300 REVIEWS!**

**Soar on**

**VR**


	23. I do

**I don't own MR**

"Ari!" I cried, looking up at him in disbelief. My first love stood there, grinning that childish smirk at me. His brown hair was as crazy as ever, his golden eyes sparkling brightly, and he was dressed in dark jeans and a bright red polo shirt. I almost fainted from happiness right then and there. Ari was here, he was as perfect as ever, and he was all mine!

"Hey, Maxie, long time no-" He didn't get to finish that sentence because I engulfed him in a hug that sent him stumbling backwards. Gasps left the crowd and Fang stood alone awkwardly but I didn't care because Ari was standing right here in front of me. Alive, and healthy, and… alive? I was too excited to see his goofy smile to realize that something wasn't right with that.

"I missed you so much!" I whisper-shouted, hugging his neck to choking point.

"Missed… you too… Max." Ari choked out and I loosened my grip but refused to let go.

"Max! You still have to say 'I do'!" Fang called to me, sounding heartbroken. But me being the selfish jerk I was called back:

"In a minute!" And looked up at Ari with a smile on my face.

"Let's go somewhere we can talk in private." He whispered and I just nodded giddily. Ari held my hand and began to pull me off until Fang shove him away.

"And just where do you think you're going with _my _wife?" He growled, shoving me behind him none too gently.

"Wherever I wanna go with her!" Ari snarled, shoving Fang back and grabbing my hand. "Come on, Maxie." He said and I nodded, still in _Oh my Tofu bacon I can't believe Ari's here and holding my hand! _mode.

"Max!" Iggy snapped, but I didn't listen, already out of the room as Ari pulled me into the one I had come out of not too long ago.

"So how-" I started to ask after he shut the door, but Ari cut me off by slamming me against a wall and kissing me roughly. The kiss was so passionate and Fang-like I had a mini freak out moment. I wish Ari would've kissed me like this more when we were to*gether. His lips were so soft just like always. I missed this, I loved this, I needed this- I needed him!

I was so lost in my own thoughts I didn't even realize I had started to kiss Ari back, my fingers getting lost in his silky hair. Just like before our movements were perfectly in sync. Our bodies fit together perfectly and ever action he made was met by a reaction from me.

I was so shocked, amazed, happy, and in love I didn't even realize he had started to undo the back of my dress until I felt his warm hands on my back. That splash of warmth against my cool back it was brought me out of my crazed high. "Ari, stop!" I snapped, pushing him away.

And considering Ari had always been a perfect gentlemen I expected him to stay a good arm's length away. And he did… for a minute. Before I knew it his lips were connected to mine- only this time in desperation. "Ari stop! Stop!" I shouted, trying to push him away. I couldn't hit him though, I didn't have the heart to.

"What's the matter? I thought you liked this Max! This is how Fang treats you!" Ari snapped, resentment and hurt in his tone as he momentarily stopped trying to rape me.

"He doesn't treat me like this, anymore Ari! And you shouldn't want to be like him!" I added angrily.

"Why? You chose him over me!"

"You were dead!" I screeched, and that's when it hit me. Like a semi-truck. "You are dead! You're supposed to be dead! Why aren't you dead?" It all came out in a flurry and suddenly I was that sixteen year old girl trapped in the corner of her room as her boyfriend turned into a beast before her eyes. Except he wasn't my boyfriend anymore, and he wasn't morphing. Yet.

"My dad couldn't handle the thought of me dead." Ari whispered, suddenly sobered up. "He dug me up and basically shocked me back to life. I wasn't allowed to leave though, or I would've come to you, I would've called you, I would've… something."

"Oh Ari!" I whispered and hugged him again. Who knew what his dad had done to him? "Sweetheart, please zip my dress back up." I whispered to him. I was honestly terrified that he wouldn't, but he did.

"I want you to be mine, Max." He mumbled, nuzzling my neck.

"I know. But that's not gonna happen." I said, pulling away from him. "I love Fang now."

"Funny way of showing it." Ari grumbled, recalling the last couple minutes.

"That never happened okay? I need to get back to Fang-"

"No! You're mine!" Ari snarled, shoving me to the ground.

"Ari I don't wanna hurt you-"

"You couldn't if you wanted to!" He growled, dropping down over me, his golden eyes glinting with a certain lust I've never seen before.

"Ari, don't do this! I'll scream. Fang will come, he'll… he'll save me!" I said, only half sure. What if he was so angry at me for leaving him that he wouldn't come to help me?

Ari snorted and I heard joints begin to pop. His hand turned into an assortment of sharp claws and he set one right on the edge of the top of my dress, and began to slice down. "Ari! Stop! This dress was expensive!" I snapped and he just chuckled darkly.

"You sound like Nudge, Honey." He said.

"I'm not your Honey! FA-" I start but Ari cut me off, slapping his hand down on my mouth. I felt tears prick my vision as I struggled. Though it was like he had gotten ten times stronger even though it didn't show.

"You don't wanna o this Ari! Please don't do this." I begged, squeezing my eyes shut to try and stop from crying.

"Oh please don't cry, Maxie. I love you so much." Ari whispered, kissing my tears away.

"If you loved me you'd let me go!" I snarled, too afraid to scream again. He might hurt me next time.

"And if you ever really loved me you'd wanna stay!" Ari defended but I just shook my head.

"No! I don't want this! Not from you, not from Fang, not from anybody!" That made Ari stop.

"Not even from Fang?" He asked, looking down at me quizzically.

"Not now. Get off me you oaf." I muttered, shoving him back, and Ari got off, looking at me still, amazed seemingly at my response. "Don't you respect me at all?" I asked quietly.

"Of course I do, Max." He said and squeezed my hand. "But I want you to be mine." I blinked at him, thinking for a moment. It was like one minute he was Ari, and the next he was the eraser inside of him.

"Alright." I said, getting an idea and standing up.

"Wha…? I'm so confused, weren't you just crying about-"

"I won't be yours in that way, Ari. In a different way." I decided grabbing the box that had my wedding gift from Nudge in it, I lifted the top off and dumped the jewelry out of it, walking over to him.

"You're gonna give me an empty box?" Ari asked, looking even more confused.

"Yes Ari, I'm going to give you an empty box." I said sarcastically and slid another box out from under the table, dumping the contents from that one into Nudge's pretty box wrapped with silver and gold paper.

"They're pictures." Ari mumbled and I nodded, hoping this would work.

"Pictures of us. I was going to burn them after the wedding but now I'm giving them to you, in every picture, I'm yours. Get it? This is a much less evil way to reach your goal." I told him and kissed his cheek as I sat the box in his lap. "Satisfied?" I asked, inwardly crossing my fingers in hopes he'd say yes.

He hugged the small box to him and nodded meekly, standing up and pulling me to him, kissing me once more. Only this time it was soft, and it was meant to say goodbye. I kissed him back for a moment, before he began to dissolve. I felt myself having a mental panic attack as he disappeared right before my eyes, box of pictures and all, except for one that lay on the floor. One of him and I just chilling together, my head on his chest and a goofy grin on his face. It was a perfect photo. I picked it up and glanced at the back. _Keep this one, for me. _He whispered and I smiled before setting it on a table and walking back out. I was ready to marry Fang. I could do this.

When I walked back out everyone looked to me, my dress ripped, my hair a mess, my make up probably looking horrible from crying and being kissed so passionately, but all I paid attention to was Fang. He stood in his spot, waiting to marry me like the loyal boy- no, man- he had always been. I walked up to him and looked him in his dark brown eyes.

"I do." I whispered so only he could hear as he took in my disheveled state.

"What?" He asked, sounding shocked.

"I do!" I said louder and cheers rang out around me as I grabbed Fang's shirt collar and yanked him into a soft, loving kiss.

Fang was who I loved, who I was meant to be with, he was my perfect other half. Ari was nothing more than a mind blowing memory that would never be forgotten. And this, my friends, brings us to the end of my story, the end of the 7 Week Plan, from the beginning to the end. I hope you enjoyed my life, I know I definitely did.

**Thank you everyone for reading! I love you all and WOW! over 300 reviews! To all you MARI fans out there I did this chapter for you. I was originally gonna make Ari an evil son of a gun, but then decided I'd do something like this so you all knew he wasn't truly evil! And to all the FAX fans, love you too.**

**Big thanks to my very first reviewer LaLaLandMuse: It's always the first review that really gets me excited. It always makes me feel good, especially when I can make someone like something they don't normally read!**

**Thank you, Random and Skats for sticking by me and helping me out when I asked! **

**I love you all, and don't worry, many more awesome stories from me are to come!**

**Soar on**

**VR**


	24. After Happily Ever After

~**On the way to airport (To go to Hawaii for their honeymoon)~**

"So, what happened back there?" Fang asked and I flinched. After ever so cautiously avoiding this question for the last couple hours, I knew I couldn't anymore. There was no way I could play dumb, or act like it was too traumatizing to talk about. Fang knew me better than that.

So I told him. Everything. From the make out session to the dissolving Ari. After I was finished I expected him to pull over and kick me out of the truck with a 'Just married' Sign on the back. I expected him to yell at me and tell me what a mistake it was to marry me. I expected him to demand we get a divorce within the next day.

So when he smiled, I was caught off guard. "Thanks." He whispered and I blinked, looking at him like he had grown a second head. My mouth opened and closed stupidly as I searched for something, anything, to say. But what could I say?

"Why are you thanking me?" I finally asked, both relieved and confused that he hadn't thrown me out of the truck.

"For being honest with me." Fang said, leaning over to kiss my cheek quickly.

"B- But I cheated on you!" I insisted.

"Well Ari technically was dead, so _technically _you didn't cheat on me." He said, smirking, as if what he said could solve World Hunger.

"Well, thank you then." I said.

"For what?" Fang asked.

"For finding a loophole to keep from yelling at me." I muttered and grabbed his hand' squeezing it. He chuckled lightly.

"No problem."

**~Honeymoon Day 6~**

"Oh come on, seriously?" I laughed at Fang's frazzled expression as he tried to call Nudge yet again. She hadn't answered her phone the last couple times and since she was supposed to be taking care of Lexi, Fang was terrified.

"Someone could've broken into the house! Or maybe Holden came back! Or what if she's turning Lexi into a Barbie Doll! Oh and if Sam's there who knows what they're doing-"

"Fang!" I interrupted, gently prying his hands off the phone. "First of all, Nudge is at Sam's house today with Lexi. Holden is dead, remember? And Nudge already promised she wouldn't treat Lexi like a Barbie, and that she was waiting till marriage. Anything else I need to clarify?" I asked, a little annoyed now. I mean, don't get me wrong, it was really adorable how worried Fang was for his sister. But we were only here in Hawaii for four more days and I wanted to make the most of it.

"But she's not answering!" Fang exclaimed.

"Fang, think about it this way, Sam is a twenty year old who likes My Little Pony. Lexi is a twelve year old who likes My Little Pony, Nudge is a twenty-one year old who's obsessed with Rainbow Dash, why do you think no one's answering their phones?" I asked.

"Oh, okay, fine! No more calls until eight- no, seven!" Fang decided and I grinned.

"Alright, now with that said and done, we're going to the beach."

"Can I bring my phone?" Fang asked hopefully, giving me those sweet dark cow eyes.

"Funny, Fang. I know that was a joke because this is our honeymoon and the whole point is for us to be together for a couple weeks and have no worries." I told him through clenched teeth, waiting for him to snap about Lexi still mattering. I knew he would, because it was always 'Gotta check up on Lexi' and never 'Let's spend the day together.'

Though surprisingly, Fang nodded. "Right. Let me just get change and I'll meet you down there." He kissed me quickly and went into the bathroom to change while I headed down to the beach.

I had already planned on today to be my relaxation day. No more getting into the water and swimming for miles and miles. So I laid out a towel and rubbed some sunscreen in on my skin before laying own and closing my eyes to relax. Though that only lasted about ten minutes. Fang had me scooped up in his arms and was running for the water before I could react. "Fang!" Was all I managed to shout before I was submerged in the cool salty ocean.

I quickly got out of the water and dunked Fang, laughing to myself, he popped right back up out of it and threw me a couple feet. "Max!" He said mockingly and I laughed harder, splashing him. He splashed me back and the war began.

**Moving into house, Day 3~**

"Max! Stop working! I command you!" Fang snapped playfully as I carried in a couple boxes.

"Fang! Stop being over-protective! I command you!" I snapped back, panting slightly. I was in jean shorts and a tank top helping the guys (Iggy, Fang, and Sam) move stuff into the house Fang and I got. However, Fang believes that I should just sit back and relax and let him and the boys do all the work. He's been trying to tell me to stop helping for the last hour since he thinks that me just sitting there would be helpful somehow I guess.

"You don't have to help us, Max. I mean really, you deserve a day off." Sam said, taking the boxes from my arms and carrying them to the kitchen. I grumbled to myself.

"Oh come on! I want to help!" I insisted as Iggy walked through the front door with a few boxes stacked up. "I say let the girl help. I'm sure she wants to do something besides take orders for food she can't eat. Besides, we still have half a moving truck to go."

"Oh you know what? Fine!" Fang muttered, looking to me. I think the real reason he didn't want me lifting heavy weight though is because I'd been late, like two months late, and we're broth thinking it's the big B.

...

A couple hours later almost everything was moved in and Sam and Fang had just carried the mattress to our king bed upstairs when Iggy walked up to me.

"So... Maxie baby, my girl! That spare room... do you think maybe if I ever needed to, I could spend a night here?" He asked me, walking up to the kitchen.

"It's all yours, Babe." I said, ruffling his hair.

"Great! I'll move my stuff in tomorrow!" Iggy chirped happily, skipping up the stairs.

"What? Wait! Ugh! Iggy, you're paying rent!" I called up the stairs. He laughed.

"Yeah... No. Besides, without me you'd burn this place down!" Iggy yelled at me an I groaned, knowing Fang and I now had our own personal chef.

**~Pregnancy tests~**

I stared down at the little stick in my hand, unable to move even a millimeter. I couldn't even blink. "Oh I can't take it anymore!" Iggy burst into the bathroom, running up behind me, Fang right there with him. "MY BABY'S HAVING A BABY!" Iggy practically screamed. In my ear. He began to cry... I think tears of joy... and Fang wrapped me in his arms and spun me around. Still, I was frozen. He set me down and tapped my temple.

"Uh... Max? Are you okay?" He asked concerned, and that's when I snapped out of it and almost collapsed with happiness as I hugged both Fang and Iggy close.

"We're having a baby!" I cheered, feeling tears in my own eyes as the three of us stood in the bathroom and hugged each other, laughing and crying for what felt like hours.

~**First Fight~**

"I'm sick of it, Fang! You're never home anymore!" I shrieked, wishing I could throw something at him.

"Well maybe it's because I'm trying to make a living for us while you sit on the couch watching Soap Operas!" He snarled viciously. We had been fighting about his long hours at work for the past ten minutes now. Fang kept insisting it was for the better, and I kept insisting he needed to stay home and have family time more than one day a week- most of which he spends sleeping.

"I'm taking care of _our _child! The one you never see! You weren't even here for his first birthday!" I snarled.

"I had to work! I was on probation! My boss would've fired me if I hadn't gone!" Fang insisted.

"Well I'm glad to know work is more important than Cody and me!"

"Don't put words in my mouth-"

"I don't have to! Your actions show it just fine!" I growled.

"You know what Max! maybe if you just worked a few hours a day then I wouldn't be gone for so long!" Fang yelled, taking a step closer to me, and I instinctually took one back. He noticed, and his eyes just flared up like two black coals being dropped in a fire.

"Don't act like I'm going to hit you." He muttered in a deadly calm voice.

"You've done it before." I told him, building up enough courage to step forward and shove him.

"Get over it! You're just changing the subject!" He sneered.

"And you're just being a bastard! Fang, Cody doesn't even think you live us anymore! He's starting to call Iggy his dad!" I screamed before flopping down on the bed.

"Well then get a job or he's just gonna keep thinking that till I get a degree since you won't do anything with yours!" He yelled before storming out of the room and slamming the door so hard the room shook.

I sighed and counted to sixty before getting up and opening the door, glancing down the hallway before heading to Cody's room. I picked him up in my arms and rocked him, humming quietly as he cried. Fang's and my screaming must have woken him up. I sighed, hoping this fight would go away soon.

~**Next Day~**

Fang had slept on the couch since I had locked myself in my room and only gave him, a pillow, a blanket, and a work outfit so he wouldn't have to come knocking on my door the next morning and wake me up at five. I guess I expected him to go to work even after that fight, which is why I was surprised to open the door only to find Fang sitting outside of it, looking exhausted. I could tell he hadn't showered yet like he normally did every morning, and that he was even more tired than usual, so instead of making him get up, I sat down next to him.

"Hey." I whispered.

"Max, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that, I shouldn't have scared you. You're right. Cody needs us to be around and I-" I cut him off with a quick kiss.

"I'm the sorry one. I know you're just trying to keep us alive and I shouldn't argue with it. In fact, I'm going to start looking for a job. Maybe some place that'll let me bring Cody along. And then when I get my degree I'll look for somewhere better." I said, and Fang grinned, pulling me into his lap and resting his forehead against mine.

"I called in sick today was we could talk about the hours and days I should stop working." He said and I grinned, kissing him softly. He kissed me back, holding me close, and I couldn't have been happier at that moment in time.

**~Cody's 6****th**** birthday~**

I smiled at my baby boy has he skipped into the room with his four year old little sister, Jamie. "Uncle Iggy! Uncle Iggy! Are you making my cake? Is it double fudge?" Cody chirped happily. Iggy kneeled down to Cody's height, plucking Jamie away and setting her on his knees.

"No, kids, sorry." He muttered and I could visibly see both their faces fall. "It's a triple fudge cake!" He said and they both brightened back up, both hugging Igster tight before Cody grabbed his little sister's hand and led her out of the kitchen. I chuckled and handed our other baby girl to Fang, who was smirking at Iggy. He gently took little Becka out of my arms.

"I'll tell you what Iggy, if they're up all night because of all the sugar you put into that cake you're responsible for them." Fang said, and I instantly went pale.

"What do you mean? How much sugar is in that cake? Iggy! I don't want my children awake all night!" I snapped as Becka pulled on Fang's hair, giggling. Fang gently shook his hair in her face and I couldn't help but let my attention wander off of Iggy for a moment. Which is unfortunately all it took for him to bolt out of there. I glared at the door, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Relax, Maxie. It's Saturday anyways. It doesn't matter if he stays up all night." Fang insisted and I sighed before sitting down in a chair.

"I guess you're right." I muttered.

"Of course I am. Now I'm gonna feed Becka and put her down for a nap. Go make sure none of the kids break anything in the bounce house." Fang commanded and I nodded and watched as he walked over to the fridge and got her special milk out before heading to the backyard to find Iggy in the bounce house with Cody, Jamie, and all of Cody's friends. Oh no. this is not good.

JJ ran up to me smiling and hugged me tight, her little girl Sophia sliding down the bounce house. I groaned and watched, waiting for Iggy to hurt someone or break the blow up house. I hugged her back.

"Hey, just out of curiosity, why is your boyfriend still living at my house?" I asked, glancing over at Iggy who was now hugging his daughter to him. She had waist long strawberry blonde hair and JJ's eyes. She was a beautiful little girl and Iggy absolutely adored her.

"Because my boyfriend is poor. Very poor. And he can't support Soph and me yet. That's why. I think it bothers him a lot more than he lets on though, Max." She added, looking over to Iggy with a smile on her face.

"Yeah, well. I'll keep treating him good for you. Oh, and bring Sophia around more often. She's one of Cody's best friends." I added.

"Alright, every weekend she'll be at your place since Iggy likes to come over to my apartment and help out during the week." She said and I nodded. "Well, better go get him out of that house before he pops it." She added and took off. I watched Iggy climb out and wrap his arms around JJ, kissing her quickly. I grinned, glad my two best friends were truly in love.

Then I turned to see Brigid and Lissa chatting up a storm and could faintly hear their boyfriends, Ratchet and Jake, talking sports. Nudge was walking up to me, dragging Sam along. Their little boy, Riley, playing tag with Cody, Jamie, and Sophia.

"Oh Max! You won't believe it! Sam finally grew a pair and asked me to marry him!" Nudge cried out, showing me the ring while Sam just grinned weakly at me.

"I was just waiting for the perfect moment." Sam muttered awkwardly and I grinned.

"You have to be a bridesmaid- NO! You have to be the Maid of Honor! OH MYGAWSH! We're going to have a purple and white themed wedding! It's going to be so beautiful and there will be roses EVERYWHERE and-"

"Nudge, Darling, as much as I know Max would love to hear about that, this is Cody's day." Sam said softly, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. I swear, Sam is one bold guy. He's the only you who has ever talked over Nudge to shut her up, and it always works for him. She blushed and smiled sheepishly.

"I know, I just, I'm so excited!" Nudge cheered and kissed him quickly. "We're gonna go get some drinks." She added before dragging Sam along again.

Next up came Angel with a very handsome boy on her arm. He had dark brown wild hair and green eyes, and was smiling brightly as he talked to her. "Max! This is my new boyfriend, Total." She said brightly and I grinned. "I'm guessing Nudge already gave you the best friend talk so I'll just keep it simple, Iggy knows how to kill people with empty ketchup packets and can make a bomb our of string and jello. Keep that in mind." I said and shook his hand while a scared expression crossed his face.

"Ange, you didn't tell me there were people around that would want me dead." Total mumbled, with a very slight Scottish accent.

"They don't want you dead, Honey. Not yet anyways." Angel said and pulled him away, turning back to me and giggling slightly before walking off to go introduce him to Fang most likely.

I sighed happily, glad all my friends had someone to love in their lives. I began to walk back inside, and just in time too, because no sooner did I make it to the kitchen then Iggy hollered "Cake time!" And a herd of five and six year olds ran in, with Sophie on Iggy's shoulders and Jamie hugging onto his leg as he walked. He shook the kids off once he got into the kitchen and then pulled the five layer cake out of the oven, setting it in front of Cody, who was now sitting in my lap and ogling at the cake.

Fang turned out the lights and stood behind me. "Happy birthday to you!" We all began to sing. "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Cody! Happy birthday to you!" And with that he paused for a moment before blowing out his candles, making everything go dark.

**I don't own MR**

**Alright, the real ending of 7 Week Plan. This was requested by a lot of people and I can only hope it came out as good as I hoped it did. Please don't pay attention to spelling errors and if a couple of them seemed rushed it's because this whole thing had been deleted twice, half of it has been deleted once, and I'm kinda fed up with it so here ya go. The final Chapter.**

**Hope you like it, but if you don't, I'm really sorry I couldn't meet your standards.**

**Soar on**

**VR**


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